Part of the joy of traveling is experiencing new cultures, and at the heart of many cultures is language! So knowing how to say thank you in different languages is a great way to show cultural appreciation and respect!
We’re not expecting you to say thank you in every language that exists but it’s always handy to have a few phrases up your sleeve when you’re traveling. It will endear you to locals, as well as help you get around your destination with minimum fuss.
With this in mind, read on for our awesome guide to saying thank you in languages from around the world.
(I’ve also included a ton of popular key phrases and fun instructional videos to help you learn how to say them!
How to Say Thank You in Many Languages
It’s impossible to learn how to say thank you in all languages since there are over 6500 of them! However, we’ve done our best to bring you a definitive guide to how to say thank you in several languages.
The list is in alphabetical order!
Thank You in Arabic
- شكرا (shoe-kran)
When you’re learning how to say thank you in different languages, you can’t go wrong by starting with Arabic. With over 290 million native speakers, it’s one of the world’s most spoken languages.
Thank You in Chinese (Mandarin)
- 谢谢 (she-eh she-eh)
When it comes to saying thank you, most Chinese people use gifts to express their gratitude. It doesn’t have to be a lavish present but something small will always be appreciated.
Thank You in Croatian
- hvala (HVAH-lah)
Croatian is one of the most difficult languages to learn. Thankfully, though, the pronunciation is phonetic and just a few phrases will go a long way with the locals.
Thank You in Danish
- tak (tahg)
With just over 5 million speakers, Danish isn’t a common language. However, if you plan on visiting Greenland or trendy Copenhagen, Danish will be useful.
Thank You in Dutch
- Dank u (dahnk oo)
As the official language of the Netherlands, learning a few Dutch phrases will surely help you navigate the canals of Amsterdam! Dutch is also spoken on the islands of Aruba and Curacao!
Thank You in Finnish
- kiitos (key-toss)
If you were wondering how do you say thank you in Finnish, you now have your answer. Thankfully, Finnish is a very phonetic language so pronunciation is easy. It’s also one of the most magically beautiful destinations to visit during the winter!
Thank You in French
- merci (MEHR-see)
The French are notoriously cold to foreigners so knowing how to say thank you in various languages is particularly useful when it comes to buttering up your Parisian waiter! Practicing some basic French before your trip will really come in handy!
Thank You in German
- danke (dahn-kah)
Germans communicate with each other very directly and tend to avoid superfluous phrases such as “have a nice day”. So, don’t overdo your “dankes”.
Thank You in Greek
- Ευχαριστώ (eff-kha-ri-STOE)
To make the most of Greece’s sun-kissed beaches, butter up the grumpy Greek ticket salesperson by saying ‘thank you’ in Greek.
Thank You in Hawaiian
- mahalo (ma-HA-lo)
Hawaiian has only 24,000 native speakers so being able to greet locals will really be appreciated!
Thank You in Hebrew
- .תודה / todah (toh-DAH)
Hebrew is native to Israel and is spoken by around nine million people in the world. The script can be tricky for English speakers to decipher so check out a few videos on pronunciation.
Thank You in Hindi
- धन्यवाद (dhanyavād)
Hindi has over 250 million native speakers so being able to say thank you in multiple languages will come in handy. However, Indians only use ‘thank you’ with strangers since family and friends are expected to help each other out.
Thank You in Indonesian Bahasa
- terima kasih (Tur-EE-mah KAH-see)
This will particularly come in handy while exploring the beautiful island of Bali, or sailing through Komodo National Park!
Thank You in Italian
- grazie (grah-tsee-eh)
When you know how to say thanks in different languages, you’ll start to notice that there’s just something cheerful about saying “grazie”. It’s one of my personal favorites on the list!
Thank You in Japanese
- ありがとう(arigato)
Rather than actually saying ‘arigato’, sometimes Japanese bow to each other to show gratitude!
Thank You in Korean
- 감사합니다 (KAM-sah-ham-NEE-da)
The Hangul script was specifically invented to make the Korean language easy to read. If you still feel a little bit daunted, there are some fabulous resources to help you learn Korean.
Thank You in Malay (Bahasa)
- terima kasih (TREE-muh KAH-seh)
Malay has a phonetic alphabet so it’s very easy to pronounce. It’s spoken by about 18 million people in Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei and Thailand. It’ll come very handy if you’re planning a trip to Malaysia soon!
Thank You in Norwegian
- takk (tahk)
Norwegian is one of the easiest languages for English speakers to learn so go ahead and give it a try. According to Babel, “For English language speakers, Norwegian is much easier to learn than most other languages. This is thanks to a number of things including the fact that they are both Germanic languages. This makes it easier to learn as it means it features a lot of cognates, words you will already recognize.
Thank You in Portuguese
- obrigado (oh-bree-GAH-dooh)
With so many stunning attractions in Portugal, you don’t want the language barrier to stand in your way!
Thank You in Russian
- Спасибо (spuh-SEE-buh)
Russian can seem intimidating but with a bit of practice, you’ll soon be speaking like a local.
Thank You in Spanish
- Gracías (GRAH-syahs)
Spanish is a great place to start with the challenge of learning thank you in other languages. It’s spoken by over 480 million native speakers so your few words will go far. Being born and raised in California, gracias was probably the very first foreign word I learned! But I really mastered by Spanish by traveling through Spain & Colombia!
Thank You in Swedish
- Tack så mycket (tak so mik-ket)
Swedish is said to be one of the easiest languages for a native English speaker to understand since it shares many of the same grammar rules, but I’ve always found it difficult to speak when trying to learn!
Thank You in Thai
- ขอบคุณ (khop khun)
If you want to put a smile on the faces of your Thai hosts, learning this ancient language is a great start. Check out my Thailand Itinerary and start planning your trip!
Thank You in Turkish
- teşekkür ederim (teh shek uer eh der eem)
Traveling around Turkey’s stunning ancient attractions will be a lot easier if you can master a few basic phrases like “thank you”.
More Key Phrases in Different Languages
Thank you is a great start to learning a language. However, learning to say more than just thank you in multiple languages is a real skill.
Key Phrases in Arabic
- Hello/goodbye — سلام (sa-lam) / مع السلا مة (maʿa s-salamah)
- Please — رجائا (rajaa’an)
- Do you speak English? — هل يتكلم أحد ما هنا….؟ (hal yatakallam ʾaḥadun mā hunā?)
- Excuse me — من فضلك (men fath-lek)
Key Phrases in Chinese (Mandarin)
- Hello/goodbye — 你好 (nee how) / 再见 [zài jiàn]
- Please — 请 (qǐng)
- Do you speak English? — 你会说英语吗 (nǐ huì shuō yīng yǔ ma?)
- Excuse me — 借过一下 (jiè guò yī xià)
Key Phrases in Croatian
- Hello/goodbye — Bok (bohk) / Doviđenja (doh-vee-jen-yah)
- Please — Molim (moh-leem)
- Do you speak English? — Govorite li engleski? (goh-voh-ree-teh lee en-glees-kee)
- Excuse me — Oprostite (oh-pro-sti-teh)
Key Phrases in Danish
- Hello/goodbye — Hej (high) / Hej hej (high high)
- Please — Være så venlig (ver soh ven-lee)
- Do you speak English? — Taler du engelsk? (tay-ler doo eng-elsk)
- Excuse me — Undskyld (oon-skool)
Key Phrases in Dutch
- Hello/goodbye — Hallo! (hah-low) / doeg (dookh)
- Please — alsjeblieft (als-yer-bleeft)
- Do you speak English? — Spreekt u Engels? (spraykt uw eng-erls)
- Excuse me — Pardon (par DOHN)
Key Phrases in Finnish
- Hello/goodbye — Hei hei (hey-hey)
- Please — (Finnish doesn’t have an exact translation so it’s best to make your request and add on “kiitos”)
- Do you speak English? — Puhutteko englantia? (POO-hoot-koh EHNG-lahn-tee-ah?)
- Excuse me — Anteeksi (AHN-tehk-see)
Key Phrases in French
- Hello/goodbye — Salut (sah-looh)
- Please —S’il vous plaît (seel-vooh-pleh)
- Do you speak English? — Est-ce que vous parlez anglais? (ehs-kuh vooh pahr-ley ahN-gleh?)
- Excuse me — Excusez-moi (eks-kew-zey-mwah)
Key Phrases in German
- Hello/goodbye — Hallo (Hâ-loh) /Auf Wiedersehen (ouf vee-der-zey-en)
- Please — Bitte (bi-te)
- Do you speak English? — Sprechen Sie Englisch? (sh-prêH-en zee êng-lish?)
- Excuse me — Entschuldigung (ênt-shool-dee-goong)
Key phrases in Greek
- Hello/goodbye — Γειά σου/Γειά σας (giásou/giásas)
- Please —Παρακαλώ (parakaló)
- Please, do you speak English? — Παρακαλώ, μιλάτε αγγλικά? (Parakaló, miláte aggliká?)
- Excuse me — Συγνώμη (syngnómi)
Key Phrases in Hawaiian
- Hello/goodbye — aloha (a-lo-ha)
- Please — Ke ‘olu’olu (keh oh-loo’oh-loo)
- Does someone speak English? —`Olelo Pelekania kekahi? (OH-leh-lo peh-leh-ka-NEE-ah kay-KA-hee)
- Excuse me — E ia nei (EY EE-ah NAY-ee)
Key Phrases in Hebrew
- Hello/goodbye — שלום (sha-lom)
- Please — בבקשה (bevakasha)
- Do you speak English? (to men/to women)— אתה מדבר אנגלית? (atah medaber anglit?) /את מדברת אנגלית? (at medaberet anglit?)
- Excuse me — סלח לי (S`lach li)
Key Phrases in Hindi
- Hello/goodbye — नमस्कार (namaskāra)
- Please — कृपया (kripaya)
- Do you speak English? — क्या आप अंग्रेज़ी बोलते हैं? (kyā āp aṅgrēzī bolte haiṅ?)
- Excuse me — क्षमा कीजिए । (Kshama keejeeae)
Key Phrases in Indonesian
- Hello/goodbye — Halo (Hah-lo) /selamat jalan (se-la-maah jah-lan)
- Please — tolong (toh-lohng)
- Do you speak English? — Anda bisa bicara bahasa inggris? (Aan-dah bee-sah bee-cha-rah ba-hah-sah eeng-ris)
- Excuse me — permisi (per-mee-see)
Key Phrases in Italian
- Hello/goodbye — Ciao (chee-ah-oh)
- Please — Per favore (pehr fah-voh-reh)
- Do you speak English? — Parla inglese? (pahr-lah een-gleh-zeh)
- Excuse me — Scusa (skooh-zah)
Key Phrases in Japanese
- Hello/goodbye — こんにちは (Konnichiwa) / じゃまた (Ja mata)
- Please — おねがいします (O-negai shimasu)
- Do you speak English? — えいごをはなせますか (Eigo o hanasemasu ka)
- Excuse me —すみません (Sumimasen)
Key phrases in Korean
- Hello/goodbye — 안녕하세요 – (An-nyeong-ha-se-yo)
- Please — 주세요 – (Ju-se-yo)
- Do you speak English? — 영어 할 수 있어요? (yung-uh hal su-eet-suh-yo?)
- Excuse me — 잠시만요 (Jam-shi-man-yo)
Key Phrases in Malay
- Hello/goodbye — Hello (Hello) / Selamat jalan (s’la-mat zha-lan)
- Please — Tolong (toh-long)
- Do you speak English? — Bolehkah anda cakap Bahasa Inggeris? (bo-LEH-kah ahn-DAH CHAH-kahp ba-HAH-suh ING-grees)
- Excuse me — Maaf (mah’AHF)
Key Phrases in Norwegian
- Hello/goodbye — Hei (hay) / Hade (ha-de)
- Please — Vær så snill (væh shaw snil)
- Do you speak English? —Kan du snakke engelsk? (kan du snakk-e eng-elsk?)
- Excuse me — Orsak meg (Or-sak meg)
Key Phrases in Portuguese
- Hello/goodbye — Olá (oh-lah) / Adeus (a-de-us)
- Please — Por favor (por fa-vor)
- Do you speak English? — Fala inglês? (fa-la in-gles)
- Excuse me — Com licença (kom lee-sen-sah)
Key Phrases in Russian
- Hello/goodbye —Привет (priVET) / До свидания. (do sviDAniya)
- Please — Пожалуйста (poZHAlusta)
- Do you speak English? — Ты говорите по-Английски? (vi govoRIte po angLIYski?)
- Excuse me — Извините (izviNIte)
Key Phrases in Spanish
- Hello/goodbye — Hola (OH-la) / Adiós (ah-dee-OHS)
- Please — Por favor (pohr fah-VOR)
- Do you speak English? — ¿Hablas inglés? (AB-las in-glAYs)
- Excuse me — Perdóname (pehr-DOH-nah-meh)
Key Phrases in Swedish
- Hello/goodbye — Hej (hey) / Hej då (hey door)
- Please — Snälla (snel-lah)
- Do you speak English? — Pratar du engelska (pra-tah doo en-gels-ka)
- Excuse me — Ursäkta mig (oo-shet-tah may)
Key Phrases in Thai
- Hello/goodbye — สวัสดี (sa-wat-dii) / ลาก่อน (laa kon)
- Please — ขอ (kho)
- Do you speak English? —คุณพูดภาษาอังกฤษได้ไหม (khun phuut phaasaa ang-krit dai mai?)
- Excuse me — ขอโทษ (kho thot)
Key Phrases in Turkish
- Hello/goodbye — Merhaba (mehr-hah-bah) / Hosçakalin (hosh-chah kah-lihn)
- Please — Lütfen. (Luet-fen)
- Do you speak English? —Ingilizce biliyor musunuz? (een-gee-leez-jeh bee-lee-yohr moo-soo-nooz)
- Excuse me — Afedersiniz (ahf-eh-dehr-see-neez)
In Conclusion
Learning a new language can be a challenge. But you’d be surprised at how far a few simple phrases will go. Just learning to say thanks in other languages will show locals that you respect their culture and help you to get from A to B easily.
Thanks to video tutorials, learning to pronounce foreign words can also be a lot of fun. Just pick a few languages from our list and you’re on your way to learning to say thank you in different languages.
Thanks for reading how to say Thank you in Different Languages!
A wonderful blog, thank you for sharing!