dank je wel
/ˌdɑŋk jə ˈʋɛl/
The English phrase 'thank you so much' is expressed in Dutch as dank je wel.
dank je wel is an informal way to say thank you so much. Other common ways to express gratitude include heel erg bedankt, which means thank you very much and hartelijk bedankt, which is a formal way to say thank you so much.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, dank je wel translates to 'thank you well', expressing a sense of complete or full gratitude.
Which one should you use?
While dank je simply means 'thank you', dank je wel is warmer and more emphatic. If you want to say thank you very much, you can also use heel erg bedankt.
How does it change in a sentence?
Use dank u wel instead of dank je wel when speaking to elders, superiors or strangers to be more formal.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌdɑŋk jə ˈʋɛl/
When do people say it?
To add a touch of familiarity to your gratitude, you can use the phrase bedankt hoor.
Did you know?
- The Dutch heel erg bedankt uses the word erg, which usually means 'very' or 'badly', to strengthen the feeling of gratitude.
- The word hartelijk in hartelijk bedankt comes from the word for 'heart', making the phrase literally mean 'heartily thanked'.
- The word wel in dank je wel is a linguistic relative of the English word 'well', but it acts more like a filler word to add warmth or emphasis to your thanks.
Examples in context
- Hartelijk bedankt voor je hulp!Thank you so much for your help!
- Heel erg bedankt voor het cadeau!Thank you so much for the gift!
- Bedankt hoor voor de gezellige avond!Thanks a lot for the enjoyable evening!
- Dank je wel voor het cadeau.Thank you so much for the gift.
- Dank je wel voor je hulp.Thank you so much for your help.
- Dank je wel, dat is erg lief.Thank you so much, that is very kind.
Example conversation
Levi gives Emma a cup of coffee at her desk.
- LeviHier is je koffie, Emma.Here is your coffee, Emma.
- EmmaDank je wel, Levi!Thank you so much, Levi!
- LeviGraag gedaan.You're welcome.
- EmmaHet smaakt heerlijk.It tastes delicious.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry dank je wel, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dank, wel, CC BY-SA 4.0.
