What does it mean word for word?
The noun շնորհակալություն literally means "gratitude" or "thanksgiving".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
շնորհակալություն is the standard, polite way to express thanks in both formal and neutral settings. For a more informal or colloquial alternative, the loanword Մերսի is popular among the younger generation, functioning similarly to how "thanks" is used instead of "thank you" in English.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is šnorhakalutʻyun. The sounds are as follows: [sh]ip for /ʃ/, [a]gain for /ə/, [n]est for /n/, [h]ot for /h/, l[a]va for /ɑ/, s[c]an for /k/, [l]ace for /l/, c[oo]l for /u/, [t]op for /tʰ/ and [y]es for /j/.
When do people say it?
While շնորհակալություն is the standard term, you may hear the word Մերսի in very informal settings. This is derived from the French word "merci".
Did you know?
- The word շնորհակալություն is built from the root շնորհ, which means 'grace' or 'favor'. To say 'thank you' is essentially to acknowledge a 'grace-bestowal'.
- In Armenian culture, gratitude is often expressed not just through the word շնորհակալություն but through a generous gesture of hospitality, such as offering food or drink.
- Depending on the region, the pronunciation of the 'h' in շնորհակալություն can vary in intensity, reflecting a dialectal split between Eastern and Western Armenian.
Examples in context
- Շնորհակալություն ինձ սպասելու համար։Thanks for waiting for me.This sentence is useful for thanking someone for the action of waiting.Tatoeba #13400454 by Proxima5, translation #2600513 by CK
- Շնորհակալություն արագ պատասխանիդ համար:Thanks for your quick answer.This sentence is useful for thanking someone for a quick answer.Tatoeba #13381963 by Proxima5, translation #1157722 by Shishir
- Շնորհակալություն քո հյուրընկալության համար:Thanks for your hospitality.This sentence is useful for thanking someone for their hospitality.Tatoeba #13371534 by Proxima5, translation #462524 by lukaszpp
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Aram is thanking Nane for helping him with his work.
- Արամ AramՇնորհակալություն օգնելու համար, Նանե:Shnorhakalutyun ognelu hamar, Nane:Thanks for helping, Nane.
- Նանե NaneԽնդիր չկա, Արամ:Khndir chka, Aram:No problem, Aram.
- Արամ AramԴու շատ բարի ես:Du shat bari es:You are very kind.
- Նանե NaneՈւրախ եմ օգնելու համար:Urakh em ognelu hamar:I am happy to help.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “thanks” translations and entries շնորհակալություն, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
