Salamat po
In Tagalog, 'thank you respectfully' is Salamat po.
Salamat po is used to express gratitude to elders, superiors or anyone to whom you wish to show formal respect.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of Salamat, which means 'thanks' and the respect marker po.
Which one should you use?
Use Salamat instead of Salamat po when speaking to friends, peers or people younger than you.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word po is an honorific particle added to sentences to express respect to the listener.
Did you know?
- The word Salamat shares a common ancestor with the Arabic word for 'safety' or 'peace'. It entered the language via Malay, where it originally meant 'safety' or 'congratulations'.
- In traditional Filipino culture, saying Salamat po is often accompanied by pagmamano, the gesture of taking an elder's hand and pressing it to one's forehead.
- While po is a marker of respect, using it too frequently in a single sentence can sometimes sound sarcastic or overly formal to native speakers.
Examples in context
- Maraming salamat po sa pagkakataon na makapanayam po ako.Thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to be interviewed.
- Salamat po sa tulong ninyo.Thank you for your help.
- Salamat po sa pagkain.Thank you for the food.
- Maraming salamat po, Ma'am.Thank you very much, Ma'am.
Example conversation
Jasmine is returning a borrowed book to Ricardo, her teacher.
- JasmineNarito na po ang libro, Sir.Here is the book, Sir.
- RicardoSalamat, Jasmine. Maayos pa ba ito?Thanks, Jasmine. Is it still in good condition?
- JasmineOpo, salamat po sa pagpapahiram.Yes, thank you for lending it.
- RicardoWalang anuman.You're welcome.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Salamat, po, salamat, CC BY-SA 4.0.
