Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| большо́е спаси́бо! | bolʹšóje spasíbo! |
| благодарю́! | blagodarjú! |
These phrases are used to express a level of gratitude greater than a simple спасибо.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase большо́е спаси́бо! literally translates to "big thank you".
Which one should you use?
While большо́е спаси́бо! is a very common way to express great thanks, благодарю́! is a more formal and elegant way to express gratitude. You may also encounter огромное спасибо, which uses the word for "huge" instead of "big" or the playful and exaggerated большущее спасибо.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Большое спасибо is a common formal expression. In contrast, благодарю́! is a higher-register, more formal way to say thank you. For casual situations, you can use the informal спасибо огромное or the playful большущее спасибо. Other formal options to convey deep or heartfelt appreciation include сердечно благодарю (I sincerely thank you) and искренне благодарю.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase большо́е спаси́бо!, the adjective большо́е (big) is in the neuter singular form to agree with the neuter noun спасибо.
How do you pronounce it?
bolʹšóje spasíbo!
When do people say it?
The standard response to большо́е спаси́бо! is пожалуйста (you're welcome/please).
Did you know?
- The word спасибо is a contraction of the phrase спаси Бог, which means 'God save you'.
- While благодарю́ is formal, its roots are literal: благо means 'good' and дарю means 'I give', so you are 'giving a good' to the other person.
- In some traditional Russian contexts, saying спасибо too frequently or for trivial things can be seen as insincere or purely performative.
Example sentences for Russian are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “thank you very much” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
