Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| danke | [ˈdaŋkə] (narrow) | |
| habe vielen Dank | ||
| haben Sie vielen Dank | formal | |
| ich danke schön | ||
| ich danke sehr | ||
| ich sage Dank | /ɪç ˈzaː.ɡə daŋk/ (word by word) | |
| danke schön | [ˈdaŋkə ʃøːn] (narrow) | |
| danke sehr | ||
| vielen Dank | ||
| danksche | ||
| dankche | Alemannic German | |
| merci | /mɛʁˈsiː/ /ˈmɛʁ.si/ (Switzerland) |
Alemannic German |
| fergälts Got | Alemannic German | |
| vrattrus Got | Alemannic German | |
| wol vergelzgott | Alemannic German |
danke is the standard everyday thank you. When someone wishes you a nice day or a good weekend, thank them and add Dir auch if you address them informally or Ihnen auch if you address them formally.
Which one should you use?
danke schön and danke sehr are warmer versions. vielen Dank means many thanks and is a slightly more emphatic way to say it. Ich danke Ihnen means I thank you and is formal.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Haben Sie vielen Dank is a highly formal way to express gratitude, typically used in professional correspondence or very polite social settings.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Alemannic dialects of southwestern Germany and Switzerland, people often say merci, a French loanword. Another Alemannic form is dankche.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say thank you for something, use für followed by the accusative case, as in Danke für den Tee.
When do people say it?
A common reply to danke or vielen Dank is Bitte sehr, meaning you are very welcome.
Did you know?
- Some traditional forms of thanks, such as fergälts Got and wol vergelzgott, are religious in nature and literally ask God to reward the person being thanked.
- In some contexts, saying danke can be interpreted as a polite way to decline an offer, similar to saying 'no thank you' in English.
- The verb in haben Sie vielen Dank comes from an ancient root meaning 'to grasp'.
Examples in context
- Danke für den Rat!Thank you for the advice.Danke für den Rat thanks someone for their advice.Tatoeba #1836215 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #4474852 by AlanF_US
- Danke für den Tee!Thank you for the tea.Danke für den Tee shows für followed by the thing you are thankful for.Tatoeba #3290170 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2646535 by CK
- Danke für das Buch.Thank you for the book.Danke für das Buch thanks someone for a book.Tatoeba #4068145 by Esperantostern, translation #2646009 by CK
- 936 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Maximilian gives Julia a flower.
- MaximilianHier ist eine Blume für dich.Here is a flower for you.
- JuliaOh, danke, Maximilian!Oh, thank you, Maximilian!
- MaximilianGerne geschehen.You're welcome.
- JuliaSie ist wunderschön.It is beautiful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “thank you” translations and entries danke, danke schön, vielen Dank, merci, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (ich, Sage, Dank) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Dank, Sie, dank, danke, haben, ich, sie, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
