How to Say Thank You in English

It’s important to show thanks when someone does something for you, or gives you something. But what we say depends on the person and situation. Here’s how to say thank you in different situations.

Common ways to say thank you

Thanks / Thank you
A: “Can I get you another coffee?”
B: “Thanks” / “Thank you!”

A: “You look great in that dress!”
B: “Thanks!”

Thanks / Thank you you very much!
A: “I booked your table for dinner.”
B: “Thank you very much!”

Thanks a lot!
A: “I saved you the last chocolate!”
B: “Thanks a lot!”

Be careful with the intonation of “Thanks a lot”. If you speak with a lower voice, “thanks a lot” can sound like you’re not happy at all and the “thanks” sounds sarcastic. Here’s an example.

A: “Sorry, but we didn’t save you any chocolate.”
B: “Oh, thanks a lot.”

Ta (British English, pronounced /tar/)
A: “Here’s your tea.”
B: “Ta!”

Ta very much
A: “I ordered you a cheese sandwich. Hope that’s OK.”
B: “Ta very much!”

Thanks ever so much (British English)
A: “I got you the paper you wanted.”
B: “Thanks ever so much!”

Note: “Thanks ever so much” is considered non-standard English, but you’ll hear it a lot in the UK.

Cheers! (British English, used both in speaking and in emails)
“Cheers!” (when someone holds the door open for you, for example)

More formal ways to say thank you

Thank you so much
“Thank you so much for coming to the meeting tonight.” (spoken to a group of people)

“That’s really kind of you. Thank you so much!”

Much obliged (Often used when we’re expecting a particular “service” as part of normal behaviour)
(Shop assistant) “I’ve put your refund back on to your credit card.”
(You) “Much obliged!”

I appreciate it
“Thank you for your help. I greatly appreciate it.”

Thank you for your kind words
A: “You’re one of the best teachers I’ve had!”
B: “Thank you for your kind words.”

How to say thank you to a friend

Great / Brilliant / Wonderful. Thanks!
A: “I’ve got us tickets for the concert.”
B: “Brilliant, thanks!”

Thanks – you’re a star!
A: “I’ll look after your kids for you if you want to go shopping.”
B: “Thanks – you’re a star!”

Cheers!
A: “I’ll get this round in.” (i.e. at a pub)
B: “Cheers!”

Nice one! (typically British English)
A: “I booked the restaurant for this evening.”
B: “Nice one!”

How to say thank you to a colleague at work

I owe you one! (Informal, meaning “I owe you a favour now”.)
A: “Dave asked me where you were, but I said you were with a client.”
B: “Thanks! I owe you one!”

I appreciate it
“Thanks for covering for me yesterday. I appreciate it!”

I’m very thankful to you for…
“I’m very thankful to you for helping me with the presentation. It made a huge difference.”

How to say thank you in a card

Thank you so much for …
“Thank you so much for helping us when Sue was ill.”

You can continue with:

“I was really touched by …”
… your kindness
… your thoughtfulness
… your help
… your support

I really appreciate it
“Thank you so much for looking after my grandmother in hospital. I really appreciate it.”

How to say thank you for money

It’s really kind / generous of you
A: “I can lend you the money you need, if you like.”
B: “Thank you! That’s really generous of you.”

How to say thank you for a present

When you write a thank you letter or card for a gift you’ve received, you should aim to write a few sentences. For example:

Thank you very much for the present / gift you sent me

Then give some more details, such as:
It’s absolutely beautiful.
It’s something I’ve wanted for a long time.
It’s just the right colour / size, etc.

You can continue with:
It was very generous of you.
I’ll think of you every time I use it.

When you’re face to face you can say:

Oh you shouldn’t have!
A: “I got you this for your birthday.”
B: “Oh you shouldn’t have!”

How to say thank you for help / support / hospitality

Thank you so much for all your help
“Thank you so much for all your help when we were restructuring the department. It made things a lot easier.”

I don’t know what I would have done without you
“You’ve really helped me out over the last few weeks. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

You don’t know how much it meant to me
“Thank you so much for organising the flowers for the funeral. You don’t know how much it meant to me.”

Thank you for all / everything you have done
“Thank you for everything you’ve done in the last month. You’ve made my life so much easier!”

Thanks for everything
“We had such a lovely holiday with you. Thanks for everything!”

Thanks for being there (for me)
I just wanted to say thank you for all your help recently. Thanks for being there for me!”

I’m really / very grateful
“I’m really grateful to you for all your help this last week.”

How to say thank you to a group

Thank you everybody
“Thank you everybody for making the launch such a success!”

Thanks everyone
“Thanks everyone for coming.”

I’d like to thank you all
“I’d like to thank you all for your help in getting the office ready for the party.”

How to say thank you to a client

Thank you for taking the time…
“Thank you for taking the time to see me today.”

Thank you for your (continued) support
“Thank you for your support during our recent merger.”

I greatly appreciate
“I greatly appreciate all your feedback.”

We are very grateful to you
“We are very grateful to you for your continued support.”

In emails

Here are some ways to say thank you:

Many thanks for
“Many thanks for getting back to me.”

Just wanted to say thanks
“Just wanted to say thanks for the lovely meal last night.”

I can’t thank you enough for…
“I can’t thank you enough for introducing me to…”

Saying Thank You

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