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 |
All forms of this expression are used to convey gratitude. While danke is the standard and most versatile way to say "thanks" or "thank you", more emphatic versions like vielen Dank can be used to mean "many thanks".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase vielen Dank literally translates to "many thanks", where vielen is the accusative form of viel (much/many).
Which one should you use?
danke is the standard, versatile way to say "thanks", whereas vielen Dank is slightly more emphatic, meaning "many thanks".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Danke! are informal ways to express gratitude. For more emphasis in an informal setting, you can use Vielen lieben Dank! (many dear thanks). In formal situations, you can use haben Sie vielen Dank to say "thank you very much", which is highly formal and typical for written correspondence or very polite speech. Other formal options include Ich danke Ihnen! (I thank you) or Ich bin Ihnen dankbar! (I'm thankful/grateful to you).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Alemannic-German dialect, you may encounter dankche, merci, fergälts Got, vrattrus Got or wol vergelzgott. In Switzerland, merci! is commonly used to say "thanks".
How does it change in a sentence?
When you want to say what you are thanking someone for, use the preposition für (for). Note that when using Danke für…, the following noun must be in the accusative case, such as den, das or die.
When do people say it?
The standard response to danke is Bitte (You're welcome). For a more polite or emphatic response, you can say Bitte sehr or Bitte schön (You're very welcome).
Did you know?
Examples in context
- Danke für den Rat!Thank you for the advice.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of danke with the preposition für and a noun.Tatoeba #1836215 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #4474852 by AlanF_US
- Danke für den Tee!Thank you for the tea.Tatoeba #3290170 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2646535 by CK
- Danke für das Buch.Thank you for the book.Tatoeba #4068145 by Esperantostern, translation #2646009 by CK
- Danke für Ihre Hilfe.Thank you for your help.
- Ich danke Ihnen.I thank you.
- Danke für die Einladung!Thanks for the invitation!
- 936 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Felix brings Sarah a cup of coffee in the office.
- SarahOh, danke, Felix!Oh, thank you, Felix!
- FelixGerne, Sarah.You're welcome, Sarah.
- SarahDer Kaffee riecht sehr gut.The coffee smells very good.
- FelixDas freut mich zu hören.I am happy to hear that.
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.
