grazie, signore
/ˈɡrat.t͡sje siɲˈɲo.re/word by word
The English phrase "thank you, sir" is translated into Italian as grazie, signore.
grazie, signore is a way to say thank you to a man in a formal context.
Which one should you use?
To address a woman instead of a man, change signore to signora to say grazie, signora (thank you, ma'am).
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 4 syllables, and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- While signore is used to mean 'sir', it stems from the Latin word for 'old man', senex. It is a linguistic relative of the English word 'senile'.
- In very formal Italian, you might hear prego used as a response to grazie, signore. While it means 'you are welcome', it literally means 'I pray'.
- If you are thanking someone in a very professional or service-oriented context, you might use grazie mille, which literally means 'a thousand thanks'.
Examples in context
- Grazie, signore, per il suo aiuto.Thank you, sir, for your help.
- Grazie, signore, è molto gentile.Thank you, sir, you are very kind.
- Grazie, signore, la giornata è stata splendida.Thank you, sir, the day was splendid.
Example conversation
Sofia is paying for a coffee at a café.
- AlessandroEcco il resto, signorina.Here is your change, miss.
- SofiaGrazie, signore. Buona giornata!Thank you, sir. Have a nice day!
- AlessandroGrazie a lei, arrivederci.Thank you, goodbye.
- SofiaA presto!See you soon!
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (grazie, signore) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries grazie, signore, CC BY-SA 4.0.
