Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| gracias | /ˈɡɾaθjas/ [ˈɡɾa.θjas] /ˈɡɾasjas/ [ˈɡɾa.sjas] (Latin America, Philippines) |
| muchas gracias | /ˌmut͡ʃas ˈɡɾaθjas/ /ˌmut͡ʃas ˈɡɾasjas/ |
The term is used to express gratitude. For more formal situations, you might say Agradezco su amabilidad to mean "I appreciate your kindness" or Le estoy muy agradecido(a) to say "I am very grateful to you". In informal settings with people you are close to, you can use Te lo agradezco mucho which means "I appreciate it a lot".
Which one should you use?
While gracias is the standard way to say thank you, muchas gracias is a stronger and more emphatic version, meaning "many thanks".
How does it change in a sentence?
When you want to express gratitude for a specific thing or a specific action, use the preposition por after gracias.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, and the stress is on the 1st syllable. The IPA is /ˈɡɾaθjas/ [ˈɡɾa.θjas].
When do people say it?
The most common response to gracias is de nada, which means "you're welcome".
Did you know?
- The word gracia has a double meaning in Spanish. While it is the root of gracias, it also means 'wit' or 'humor' when describing a funny person.
- While de nada is the standard response to gracias, some speakers use no hay de qué, which literally means 'there is nothing for which to be thankful'.
- The word gracias shares its roots with the English word 'grace', referring to both elegance and divine favor.
Examples in context
- No gracias, ya comí.No, thank you. I already ate.This example shows how to use gracias to politely decline something.Tatoeba #5058128 by don_ramon, translation #5057521 by AlanF_US
- Bien, gracias. ¿Y tú?Fine, thank you. And you?This sentence uses gracias to answer a question about how you are doing.Tatoeba #532246 by cueyayotl, translation #239430 by sundown
- Gracias por la ayuda.Thank you for the help.This sentence demonstrates using gracias with the preposition por to thank someone for a specific action.Tatoeba #1901472 by marcelostockle, translation #2646007 by CK
- 328 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel gives María a coffee at the office.
- MaríaDaniel, ¿me traes un café?Daniel, can you bring me a coffee?
- DanielSí, aquí tienes, María.Yes, here you go, María.
- MaríaMuchas gracias, eres muy amable.Thank you very much, you are very kind.
- DanielDe nada, María.You're welcome, María.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “thank you” translations and entries gracias, muchas gracias, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries gracias, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
