vielen Dank
To say "thank you politely" in German, you use vielen Dank.
vielen Dank is a formal expression of gratitude used to say "Many thanks". Other ways to express thanks include Herzlichen Dank (heartfelt thanks), Ich danke Ihnen (I thank you), Danke schön (thank you kindly or thanks a lot) and Danke vielmals (thanks a lot or thank you very much).
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase vielen Dank literally translates to "many thanks".
Which one should you use?
vielen Dank is more formal and emphatic than the simple Danke.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase vielen Dank, the word vielen is the accusative masculine singular form of the adjective viel. It is used this way because Dank acts as the direct object of an implied verb, such as ich sage (I say).
When do people say it?
When someone says vielen Dank, a common polite response is Bitte sehr (You're very welcome). You may also hear Gerne (With pleasure / Gladly) as a polite response.
Did you know?
- While vielen Dank is a polite standard, using Danke as a response to an offer can sometimes be interpreted as a polite 'no thank you' depending on the tone.
- In some regions of Germany, people may respond to vielen Dank with keine Ursache, which literally means 'no cause'.
- The German word Dank is a direct linguistic relative of the English word 'thank' and the Danish word tak.
Examples in context
- Danke schön für deine Hilfe. Ohne dich wäre ich aufgeschmissen gewesen!Thank you very much for your help. I would have been lost without you!
- Vielen Dank für Ihre Hilfe.Many thanks for your help.
- Vielen Dank für die Einladung.Thank you very much for the invitation.
- Vielen Dank für das Kompliment.Many thanks for the compliment.
Example conversation
Felix receives a professional document from Laura.
- FelixHier ist der Bericht, Frau Laura.Here is the report, Ms. Laura.
- LauraIch hoffe, dass er Ihnen gefällt.I hope that you like it.
- FelixVielen Dank für Ihre schnelle Arbeit.Thank you very much for your quick work.
- LauraGern geschehen, Herr Felix.You are welcome, Mr. Felix.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry vielen Dank, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Dank, dank, vielen Dank, CC BY-SA 4.0.
