gracias hermana
/ɡɾaθjas eɾmana/from spelling rules
To say thank you sister in Spanish, use gracias hermana. In writing, put a comma before hermana because you are speaking directly to her.
For warmer thanks, Muchísimas gracias por tu ayuda, hermana means thank you so much for your help, sister and ¡Mil gracias por todo, hermanota! means a thousand thanks for everything, big sister.
What does it mean word for word?
gracias means thank you and hermana means sister.
Which one should you use?
Gracias, hermanita means thanks, little sister. Le agradezco, hermana mía is a more formal way to say I am grateful to you, my sister.
How does it change in a sentence?
Write gracias, hermana with a comma, because hermana is a direct address.
How do you pronounce it?
The IPA is /ɡɾaθjas eɾmana/. The h in hermana is silent.
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking Caribbean cultures, you might hear people use hermana or even hermanita as a term of endearment for a complete stranger, such as a shopkeeper or a waitress, to establish an immediate sense of warmth.
- The word hermana shares an ancient root with the English word 'germane', which describes something closely related or relevant.
- If you are thanking a nun in a Spanish-speaking religious context, you would use gracias, hermana regardless of whether you actually know her. In this setting, hermana is her official title rather than a biological descriptor.
Example conversation
Javier is thanking Lucía for cooking dinner.
- LucíaLa cena está deliciosa, gracias hermana.Dinner is delicious, thank you sister.
- JavierDe nada, Javier. Me alegra que te guste.You're welcome, Javier. I'm glad you like it.
- Lucía¿Puedo ayudarte a limpiar la mesa?Can I help you clear the table?
- JavierSí, por favor, sería muy amable.Yes, please, that would be very kind.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries gracias, hermana, CC BY-SA 4.0.
