gracias
/ˈɡɾaθjas/ [ˈɡɾa.θjas]
The English phrase "thank you to a girl" is expressed in Spanish as gracias.
gracias is the standard way to express gratitude regardless of the recipient's gender. While gracias alone is sufficient, you can specify that you are thanking a girl by adding a ti (to you) or a ella (to her). To intensify the expression to "thank you very much", it is most common to say muchas gracias.
How does it change in a sentence?
gracias is an invariant noun, meaning it does not change its form based on the gender of the person you are thanking.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 1st syllable. The IPA is /ˈɡɾaθjas/ [ˈɡɾa.θjas].
When do people say it?
The most common response to gracias is de nada (you're welcome).
Did you know?
- The word gracia is also used in Spanish to describe the 'punchline' of a joke. If a joke has no gracia, it means it was not funny.
- The word gracias comes from the Latin phrase gratias agere, which literally meant 'to perform thanks' or 'to do thanks'.
- When someone says muchas gracias, the word muchas must be feminine because it agrees with the feminine noun gracias, even if the person being thanked is a man.
Examples in context
- Muchas gracias, Elena.Thank you very much, Elena.
- Gracias por la ayuda.Thank you for the help.
- Mil gracias, amiga.Thanks a million, friend.
Example conversation
Mateo is thanking Elena for bringing him a coffee.
- Mateo¿Me traes un café, Elena?Can you bring me a coffee, Elena?
- ElenaSí, aquí tienes.Yes, here you go.
- MateoMuchas gracias.Thank you very much.
- ElenaDe nada, Mateo.You're welcome, Mateo.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry gracias, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries gracias, CC BY-SA 4.0.
