ECSTRA/Thanks

Typical aspects to be focussed on:

1. Phrases to say thank you

1.1. formal

1.2. informal

2. Typical things to say thank you for, e.g.:

A. compliments

B. services in restaurants

C. information services and help in stores

D. services in administration offices

E. something (goods/merchandise) that a store employee or cashier gives after you've bought it

F. for something that is given back to you

G. for wishes in greeting and leave-taking terms

(Please remember our guidelines.)

AT: Austria

in Vienna: 1.1 + 1.2.: Danke '(I) thank', Dankeschön '(I) thank finely', Vergelt's Gott 'May God repay it', Vielen Dank 'A lot of thanks'; 1.1: Ich bedanke mich recht herzlich 'I thank quite cordially', Ich bedanke mich vielmals 'I thank many times'; 1.2.: Danke dir '(I) thank you', Dank dir schön '(I) thank you finely', among close friends: Du bist ein Schatz -- Danke 'You're a treasure -- (I) thank'; untypical: Schönen Dank 'Fine thank' (ECSTRA-Q)
2: A-F (ECSTRA-Q)

BE: Belgium

Bruxelles (French): 1.1. Je vous remercie 'I thank you', Un tout grand merci 'A very big thanks'; 1.2.Merci 'Thanks', Merci beaucoup 'Thanks a lot' (ECSTRA-Q)
2: esp. B-F (in the French-speaking part) (ECSTRA-Q)

CH: Switzerland

German-speaking Switzerland:

1.1. danke ('(I)thank'), danke vielmol ('(I) thank (you) a lot'), vielen dank ('lots of thanks'), vilä herzlichä dank ('lots of thanks (heartily)') (PO)
1.2. merci ('thanks'), danke/merci vielmol ('thanks a lot'), danke ('thanks'), dank der gell('I thank you, right') (PO)

Lausanne (French-speaking area) (ECSTRA-Q)

1. Merci, Merci beaucoup, Merci infiniment (with someone you know)
2. all situations given; thanking is generally very wide-spread

CZ: Czech Republic

Bohemia

1: formal: Mnohokrát děkuji 'Many thanks', Děkuji 'Thanks'; informal: Dík, Díky, Dík moc; colloquial Díkes (ECSTRA-Q)
2: service in restaurants, unexpected help, compliments (ECSTRA-Q)

DE: Germany

1.1.: cf. 1.2. + Ich danke Ihnen (recht/ganz) herzlich 'I thank you (quite) cordially' (ECSTRA-Q)
1.2.: Danke '(I) thank', Vielen Dank 'Many thanks', Schönen Dank 'Nice thanks', Danke schön '(I) thank nicely'; in the east and south also Herzlichen Dank 'Cordial thanks' (ECSTRA-Q)
2: A-F (ECSTRA-Q)

DK: Denmark

...

EE: Estonia

...

ES: Spain

1.1.: Muchisimas gracias 'Very many thanks', Un million de gracias 'A million thanks', Te lo agradezco 'I thank you' (ECSTRA-Q)
1.2.: Se lo agradezco 'I thank you', Gracias 'Thanks', Muchas gracias 'Many thanks' (ECSTRA-Q)
2: B, C, D, F in Andalusia; A-G in Castilia (ECSTRA-Q)

FI: Finland

1.1.: (Paljon) kiitoksia; in the Swedish-speaking area Tack så mycket 'Thanks so much' or Tusen tack 'Thousand thanks' (ECSTRA-Q)
1.2.: Kiitos, Kiiti (ECSTRA-Q)
2: Finnish-speaking part: B, C, D, F, G, sometimes also A, E; Swedish-speaking part: A-G (ECSTRA-Q)

FR: France

Paris: 1.1.+1.2.: Merci 'Thanks', Merci beaucoup 'Thanks a lot', Merci bien 'Thanks well', Grand merci 'Big thanks'; 1.1.: Merci à vous 'Thanks to you', Je vous remercie 'I thank you', Merci infiniment 'Thanks indefinitely'; 1.2.: Ho merci 'O thanks', Je te remercie 'I thank thee', Tu es très gentil 'You are very nice', thank you (ECSTRA-Q)
2:Paris: B, C, D, F, G, sometimes also A, E (ECSTRA-Q)

HR: Croatia

...

HU: Hungary

Köszönöm 'Thank you' (if one person is saying thank you), köszönjük a... 'We thank you for the...', (nagyon) köszönöm szépen 'thank you (very) much' (PO)

in very formal situations also: Hálásan köszönöm 'I thank cordially' (ECSTRA-Q)
2: A-F, sometimes also G (ECSTRA-Q)

IE: Ireland

1.1.: cf. 1.2. + Thanks a million, (That's) brilliant--you're a star (ECSTRA-Q)
1.2.: Thanks, Thank you
2: A-G + special attention that hearer has paid or is paying to the speaker (ECSTRA-Q)

IT: Italy

Lombardy: 1.1. + 1.2.: Grazie 'Thanks', Grazie mille 'Thanks thousand (times)'; very formal: I piu sentiti ringraziamenti 'The most felt gratitudes' (ECSTRA-Q)
Sicily: 1.1. + 1.2. Grazie, Mille grazie (ECSTRA-Q)
Lombardy: 2: A-G (ECSTRA-Q)

LT: Lithuania

1: Dekui 'Thanks', Aciu labai (ECSTRA-Q)
2: A-G (ECSTRA-Q)

LU: Luxemburg

...

LV: Latvia

...

MT: Malta

1.1.: Thank you, Grazzi hafna 'Many thanks', Grazzi min qalbi (ECSTRA-Q)
2: for all situations given above, but not necessarily of you are at the end of conversation, because the leave-taking term mostly implies an aspect of thanking (ECSTRA-Q)

NL: Netherlands

...

NO: Norway

...

PL: Poland

1: Dziękuję (bardzo) 'I thank (very)', Szerdecznie dziękuje 'Heartful thank' (ECSTRA-Q)
2: A-G (ECSTRA-Q)

PT: Portugal

1: from very formal to informal: muito agredecido - muito obrigado - obrigado (ECSTRA-Q)
2: B, C, E, F, for help of any kind (ECSTRA-Q)

SE: Sweden

Tack 'Thanks' (rather informal), Tack så mycket 'Thanks so much' (rather formal) (ECSTRA-Q)

SI: Slovenia

...

SK: Slovakia

...

UK: United Kingdom

1.1. Thanks, Many thanks, Cheers, Ta, Ta much (ECSTRA-Q)
1.2. Thank you, Thank you very much, Many thanks; Thanks awfully (considered "posh") (ECSTRA-Q)

Non-European Nations

China

In Chinese xiexie for 'thanks', xiexie ni for 'thank you', feichang ganxie for 'thank you very much'.(PO)

Colombia

1. informal: Gracias, Muchas gracias vs. formal: Le agradezco mucho 2. all situations given -- in ordinary and informal situations it is normal to thank all the time and also in response to anybody that provides a service

Greece

1.1.: (Σε) ευχαριστω spoken: '"efcharistó"' (thanks); ευχαριστω πολυ spoken: '"efcharistó polí"' (thanks a lot); ευχαριστω παρα πολυ spoken: '"efcharistó pára polí"' (thank you very much) (PO); affectionate: ευχαριστω πολυ, να 'σαι καλα (ECSTRA-Q)
1.2.: If you address a person formally Σας ευχαριστω παρα πολυ spoken: '"sass efcharistó pára polí"' (thank you very much); if you are on first-name terms with someone but still want to be formal: Σ'ευχαριστω spoken: '"sefcharistó"' (thank you very much) (PO)
2.: for compliments, being helped, good service, polite behavior, being givensome change, wishes in greetings (ECSTRA-Q)

Lebanon

1. merci, thanks -- sometimes expressing thankfulness can take up to 5 minutes (ECSTRA-Q)
2. all situations given (ECSTRA-Q)

Philippines (Tagalog)

salamat for 'thank you/thanks', salamat po for 'thank you' to indicate politeness (for example when talking to strangers) and maraming salamat for 'thank you very much' (PO).