Baie dankie
/ˈbɑi̯ə ˈdɑŋki/
The English phrase "thank you so much" is translated into Afrikaans as Baie dankie.
Baie dankie is used to express a high level of gratitude. You can also use the more emphatic Baie baie dankie to mean "thank you very, very much" in informal settings or the Dankie van die bodem van my hart to mean "thank you from the bottom of my heart".
What does it mean word for word?
Baie dankie is composed of baie, meaning many or much and dankie, meaning thanks.
Which one should you use?
While Dankie simply means "thanks", Baie dankie adds emphasis to show more gratitude.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Namibia, it is common to use the phrase Baie dankie, liewe kind to mean "thank you so much, dear child".
How does it change in a sentence?
In Afrikaans, baie is used for both countable and uncountable amounts, unlike English where "much" is reserved for uncountable quantities.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈbɑi̯ə ˈdɑŋki/
Did you know?
- The word baie might be a linguistic hybrid, possibly combining a Low German word for 'very' with the Malay word banyak, which means 'many'.
- The structure of Baie dankie places the intensifier before the thanks, which is a common pattern in Afrikaans for adding weight to an emotion.
Examples in context
- Baie dankie vir die geskenk.Thank you so much for the gift.
- Baie dankie vir al jou hulp.Thank you so much for all your help.
- Baie dankie dat jy gekom het.Thank you so much for coming.
Example conversation
Nicola gives Andries a gift for his birthday.
- AndriesIs dit vir my? Baie dankie, Nicola!Is this for me? Thank you so much, Nicola!
- NicolaJy is baie welkom, Andries.You are very welcome, Andries.
- AndriesEk hou baie van die kleur.I like the color very much.
- NicolaEk is bly jy hou daarvan.I am glad you like it.
Sources
- Pronunciation from the Wiktionary entry baie dankie.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries baie, dankie, CC BY-SA 4.0.
