{"id":3972,"date":"2020-11-18T11:47:55","date_gmt":"2020-11-18T19:47:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/english-speaking\/?p=3972"},"modified":"2021-04-07T16:53:25","modified_gmt":"2021-04-07T23:53:25","slug":"how-to-say-thank-you-in-different-languages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/english-speaking\/how-to-say-thank-you-in-different-languages\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Say Thank You in 100 Different Languages"},"content":{"rendered":"

Here at <\/span>Magoosh<\/span><\/a>, our primary focus is the English language. However, we are fascinated by everything related to language \u2014 from linguistic origins to translation technology. More than anything, we believe in connecting people from all different backgrounds. One way to do this is to show kindness through language.\u00a0<\/span>So, what\u2019s the easiest way to show kindness? Saying thank you, of course! In this guide, we will examine the origins of the term thank you, how it is used today, as well as <\/span>how to say thank you in different languages<\/i><\/b> \u2014 100 to be exact!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Origins of Saying Thank You<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In English, the term \u2018thank\u2019 actually derives from the Latin term <\/span>tong\u0113re<\/span><\/i>, which is more closely related to the word \u2018think.\u2019 In essence, the term first meant \u201cI will remember what you did or have done for me.\u201d Though this meaning differs somewhat from the modern conception of \u2018thank you,\u2019 it does resemble a form of gratitude.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Thank You: An Invention of the Middle Class<\/h3>\n

While it\u2019s easy to trace the linguistic origins of thank you, it\u2019s a little more complex to see when it came into popular use. Nonetheless, historians believe that the first use of \u2018thank you\u2019 or <\/span>\u2018thanks\u2019 came about some time in the 12th century<\/span><\/a>. However, it would take several hundred years before \u2018thank you\u2019 was widely used in multiple languages around the world. <\/span>According to anthropologist David Graeber<\/span><\/a>, terms like \u2018please\u2019 and \u2018thank you\u2019 were inventions of the middle class:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe habit of always saying \u2018please\u2019 and \u2018thank you\u2019 first began to take hold during the commercial revolution of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries \u2014 among those very middle classes who were largely responsible for it. It is the language of bureaus, shops, and offices, and over the course of the last five hundred years it has spread across the world along with them. It is also merely one token of a much larger philosophy, a set of assumptions of what humans are and what they owe one another, that have by now become so deeply ingrained that we cannot see them.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

As trade developed around the world and cultures intermingled, the concept of showing gratitude or expressing one\u2019s \u201cdebt\u201d for another\u2019s kindness took hold in many different languages. Though saying thank you began in a business setting<\/a>, today, the concept of saying \u2018thank you\u2019 in response to a kind gesture is normal in most situations. However, just a few hundred years ago, it was still a relatively new concept!<\/span><\/p>\n

Now that we have a better understanding of how \u2018thank you\u2019 came about, let\u2019s look at how to say thank you in 100 languages! Whether you want to know how to say thank you in Tamil, thank you in Hindi, or thank you in Korean, we\u2019ve got you covered!<\/span><\/p>\n

How to Say Thank You in 100 Languages<\/strong><\/h2>\n

To make things a little easier, we will divide this list into a few different sections. First, we will look at the most common languages in the world. Then, we will look at less common languages and divide them by region. Since many languages do not use the Roman alphabet or have different pronunciation systems, we will provide pronunciation using standard English pronunciation rules.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Additionally, it\u2019s important to remember that some of these translations may not translate perfectly. For example, some of these examples show how to say thank you very much in different languages, while others are closer to a simple \u201cthanks.\u201d Nonetheless, you can be sure that this list is a great starting point for anyone who wants to learn how to say thank you in different ways!<\/span><\/p>\n

So, without further ado, let\u2019s find out how to say (and write) thank you in 100 languages!<\/span><\/p>\n

How to say thank you in the 10 most common languages<\/strong><\/h3>\n

All of the following languages each have at least than 200 million native speakers worldwide! Thus, learning how to say thank you in these languages could prove to be very useful. So, here are 10 ways to say thank you in different languages around the world:<\/span><\/p>\n