Everyone knows how to say ‘grazie’ in English, right? You learnt that in your first ever English lesson and thought to yourself:
Ok, so I know how to say ‘grazie’ now, I will learn some new words.
Well... did you know there are HUNDREDS of ways to say ‘thank you’ in English that will make you sound more like a native speaker?
In this article we will look at 10 of them – enjoy!
IMPORTANT – All of these are informal ways to speak, so don’t say them to your boss!
1 Cheers
A very British way to speak and is often made fun of by the Americans! We obviously use this word when we have a beer in our hands to say ‘chin chin’, but it is also a VERY common way to say thank you!2 Ta
Very commonly used with young children, as before they learn to say ‘thank you’ they are taught to say ‘ta’, as it’s obviously an easier sound to make. Most adults like to be children though, so it is used by everyone!3 You shouldn’t have!
Used when someone has done something for you that you didn’t really expect, so don’t use this term if someone holds the door open for you! It’s usually use for ‘bigger’ things, like someone sending you flowers (and many more examples!).4 Thanks a million!
A very easy concept to understand, instead of saying ‘thanks’ a million times, you can just say ‘thanks a million’!5 Thanks a bunch
This is generally used in a sarcastic way, when you’ve done something that is not appreciated. For example, you tell your mother that you didn’t have time to do the washing up so she has to do it, she would probably respond “thanks a bunch!”.6 Nice one
This one is particularly informal but is very common among close friends. Obviously it is only used for small things, so if your friend lent you a CD and you give it back to him, instead of saying thanks, he might say ‘nice one’.7 Thanks for stopping by
Used only when someone has come to your house (usually unexpectedly), when they go home a very common thing to say is ‘thanks for stopping by’.8 You’re a star
Generally people would say “thanks you’re a star”, adding of the word ‘star’ just makes it sound lovely so it’s a very nice term to use! ;-)9 Much appreciated
Another very nice term to use which clearly shows your appreciation for something. Probably the most formal on the list, but still not a particularly formal thing to say!10 I owe you one
Used when someone has done a favour for you and it is said with the meaning of “I owe you a favour”. For example, you’re at work and you don’t have time to go out and get lunch, but your colleague goes and buys you something, you could say “thanks – I owe you one!”.So next time you need to use the term ‘thank you’, you have 10 different variations to help you! :-)