Grazie! It’s one of the most important words in Italian. You’ll definitely want to use it to show that you’re polite and grateful.
But grazie isn’t the only way to say “thank you”.
Just like in English, sometimes you need a casual "thanks" and other times you might want to go with something more heartfelt, like "I really appreciate it."
In this lesson, you’ll learn the simple phrases which Italians genuinely use to say “thank you”.
What’s the easiest way to say thank you in Italian?
The most common way to say “thank you" in Italian is grazie. Whether you're thanking a waiter for your meal, a friend for a favor, or a stranger for directions, grazie works perfectly.
There’s also grazie mille if you want to add extra thanks.
| Grazie | Thank you. | GRATS-YEAH |
| Grazie mille | Thank you very much (lit. a thousand thank yous). | GRATS–YEAH MEEL-EH |
You could say:
Grazie per il caffè - Thank you for the coffee
Grazie mille per il gelato - Thank you very much for the ice-cream
How do you pronounce thank you in Italian?
Pronouncing grazie correctly can be tricky. Most tourists say grazi (GRATS-EE), but Italians actually say it like this:
GRATS–YEAH
The last part sounds like the English word “yeah” – it’s subtle but it’s there! Try seeing if you can notice it the next time you hear an Italian saying the word.
Also, when emphasizing with grazie mille , a common mistake is adding an extra "a." Probably because there’s an “a” in English expressions like “thanks a million” or “thanks a lot”. It's not grazie a mille , but grazie mille .
Pronouncing grazie correctly helps set you apart from the usual tourists. You’ll seem more authentic if you manage to say it the real Italian way.
Hear the pronunciation of “grazie” and practice saying it with us in this podcast.
How do I say “thank you for” in Italian? Grazie di vs. Grazie per
To say “thank you for” in Italian, you can say grazie per or grazie di.
| Grazie per il passaggio. | Thank you for the ride. |
| Grazie di essere venuto/a. | Thank you for coming. |
| Grazie per il regalo. | Thank you for the gift. |
| Grazie di tutto. | Thank you for everything. |
Unsure whether to use per or di ? In general, they’re interchangeable.
So you could say:
Grazie per il passaggio - Thank you for the ride.
Grazie del passaggio - Thank you for the ride.
But with grazie di tutto , it tends to stay as grazie di tutto. ❌NOT grazie per tutto.
More ways to say thank you in Italian
When you’re speaking Italian, you’ll probably say grazie a lot! If you want to try something different, here’s a lovely list of alternative phrases you can use to blend in with the locals.
| Molte grazie. | Thanks a lot. | MOL-TEH-GRATS–YEAH |
| Tante grazie. | Many thanks. | TAN-TEH GRATS–YEAH |
| Grazie infinite. | Infinite thanks. | GRATS–YEAH EEN-FEE-NEE-TEH |
| Va bene, grazie. | Ok, thank you. | VAH-BEH-NEH GRATS–YEAH |
| Grazie in anticipo. | Thank you in advance. | GRATS–YEAH EEN AHN-TEE-CHEE-POH |
| Grazie davvero. | I really thank you, thank you so much. | GRATS–YEAH DAV-VEH-ROH |
| Grazie ancora. | Thank you again. | GRATS–YEAH AHN-KOH-RAH |
| Grazie di cuore. | My heartfelt thanks. | GRATS–YEAH DEE KWOH-REH |
| Grazie lo stesso. | Thank you anyway. | GRATS–YEAH LOH STEH-SOH |
| Grazie a Dio! | Thank God! | GRATS–YEAH AH DEE-OH |
| Grazie al cielo! | Thank goodness! (lit. thanks to the sky!) | GRATS–YEAH AHL KEH-LOH |
Here are some authentic ways Italians would use these phrases:
Grazie ancora per la cena - Thank you again for the dinner.
Vorrei prenotare un tavolo per stasera. Grazie in anticipo - I’d like to book a table for this evening. Thank you in advance.
What’s the formal word for thank you in Italian?
You might not always be casually chatting in Italian. If you’re speaking to someone you don’t know, like in a hotel or airport, or if you’re speaking to someone older, speaking formally is usually best.
You can definitely use the phrases we’ve seen so far in formal situations. But if you want to add an extra touch of formality, you can also use these expressions.
| La ringrazio. | Thank you. | LAH REEN-GRATS-EE-OH |
| La ringrazio in anticipo. | Thank you in advance. | LAH REEN-GRATS-EE-OH EEN AN-TEE-CHEE-POH |
| Le sono molto grato/a. | I am grateful to you. | LEH SOH-NOH MOL-TOH GRAH-TOH/TAH |
Let’s see how you might use this in practice:
La ringrazio per il suo gentile aiuto. - Thank you for your kind help.
La ringrazio in anticipo per la conferma della prenotazione. - Thank you in advance for confirming the reservation.
Notice how these words don’t necessarily use the word grazie , but are other ways to show thanks.
What’s the informal word for thank you in Italian?
You can use most expressions with grazie in any situation. But just as there are some ways of saying “thank you” which are only used in formal situations, there are also a few phrases which can only be used in informal situations.
Here are extra ways to say “thank you” that you can use with close friends or younger people.
| Ti ringrazio. | Thank you. | TEE REEN-GRATS-EE-OH |
| Non dovevi! | You didn’t need to / you shouldn’t have! | NON DOH-VEH-VEE |
For example:
Grazie, non dovevi! - Thank you, you shouldn’t have!
Ti ringrazio per l’aiuto - Thank you for the help.
How to say you’re welcome in Italian?
You might not be the only one saying “thank you” in Italy. Someone might be thanking you!
Italians often use the word “grazie” to thank someone back. Adding “you” is similar to the idea of saying “no, thank you ” in English.
| Grazie a te | Thank you (informal) | GRATS–YEAH AH TEH |
| Grazie a Lei | Thank you (formal) | GRATS–YEAH AH LEH-EE |
Here’s a dialogue to show how this would work: - Vorrei un cappuccino per favore. I would like a cappuccino please.
- Ecco il cappuccino. Here’s the cappuccino.
- Grazie mille. Thank you very much.
- Grazie a Lei. Thank you .
You’ll find more lovely replies to “grazie” in this lesson .
The best way to say thank you in Italian: Review
Grazie is an essential word to use in any context. But it’s not the only way to express “thank you” in Italian.
Let’s see the most useful expressions together in a handy list.
Grazie – Thank you
Grazie mille – Thank you very much
Grazie del / per il passaggio – Thank you for the ride
Grazie di tutto – Thank you for everything
Grazie in anticipo – Thank you in advance
Grazie ancora – Thank you again
Grazie lo stesso – Thank you anyway
Grazie di cuore – My heartfelt thanks
Grazie a Dio! – Thank God!
La ringrazio – Thank you (formal)
Ti ringrazio – Thank you (informal)
Grazie, non dovevi! – Thank you, you shouldn’t have (informal)
K: Ciao a tutti e benvenuti! Hi everyone and welcome to “Learn Italian with Joy of Languages”.
M: When you’re in Italy, grazie (thank you) is a word that will come in handy in many situations. Thanking the waiter, thanking the commesso (the shop assistant), thanking the person who gives you directions…
K: Before we get started, there’s one thing we would definitely tell you grazie for. If you could click the subscribe button to our podcast as you’re listening to us now, it really helps us reach more language learners. And you get notified every time we do a new episode. Grazie!
M: Grazie seems like a simple word, but it’s easy to get the pronunciation wrong.
K: Definitely. People often think it’s pronounced “grazi”. But there’s actually a little “yeah” at the end, just like the way we say “yeah” in English! GRATS–YEAH, GRATS–YEAH
M: Grazie (x2).
K: And the letter “zed” or “zee” is actually pronounced like the ts in English words like “rats, bats, cats”. TS.
M: Just like in pizza and mozzarella . Grazie (x2).
K:. So how many times do you think you’ve already said grazie today, Matteo?
M: I’d have to think. Many times for sure. I do my best to be polite. But I don’t always just say grazie . Grazie for the drinks, grazie for the food, grazie for the bill, grazie, see you soon. It can feel a bit repetitive, and it’s nice to try some new, native sounding phrases.
K: So we’re going to play a kind of game, where you’ll hear different ways to say “thank you” in Italian.
M: As you listen, try to guess, is this something Katie would say or something I would say?
K: Ok, so who would say to their partner grazie per il macchiato, non me lo aspettavo! That’s “Thank you for the macchiato , I didn’t expect it.”
M: What do you mean you didn’t expect it? I bring it to you every morning!
K: Ok, Matteo gave that one away. I would say it to him, grazie per il macchiato ... Matteo brings me one every morning. Un macchiato (x2) is a type of coffee, a shot of espresso with a dash of milk. Notice how we’re saying grazie per. It means “thank you for”.
M: Grazie per il macchiato (x2)
K: Then you heard a great phrase to thank someone:
M: Non me lo aspettavo (x2).
K: I didn’t expect it.
Non – not
Me – me
Lo – it
Aspettavo – expected
K: There are a few funny grammatical things going on here with me and the lo . But you don’t need to worry about the details for now. I’d suggest just learning the phrase so it rolls off your tongue when you need it. I didn’t expect it:
M: Non me lo aspettavo (x2)
M: Next, who would say to their accountants grazie in anticipo (x2) .
K: This means “thank you in advance”.
M: Grazie – Thank you
In – In
Anticipo – advance
K: Grazie in anticipo. It’s perfect for the end of an email. Anticipo sounds like the word anticipate in English. It’s that idea of thinking ahead, before something’s happened. So, who would say grazie in anticipo to their accountants?
[...]
M: Definitely you!
K: I don’t understand much about Italian bureaucracy so I’m always thanking my accountants for their help.
M: That’s normal, most Italians don’t understand it either! Ok, next one. Who would say to the chef, grazie mille per la pizza, era buonissima (x2) . Thank you very much for the pizza, it was delicious.
Grazie – thank you
Mille - thousand
Per – for
La – the
Pizza – pizza
Era – it was
Buonissima – delicious
K: Mille literally means “a thousand”, so grazie mille is like saying “a thousand thanks”. So who would say it?
[...]
K: Of course that’s Matteo! Would you say it to a chef in England?
M: As long as he doesn’t put barbecue sauce or pineapples on it, maybe.
K: Speaking of food, who would say grazie, non dovevi (“thank you, you shouldn’t have”) if their partner made dinner?
[...]
M: I’m panicking, did you make dinner this evening?
K: So that one is Matteo. Grazie, non dovevi is a way of saying “thank you, you shouldn’t have”. That phrase is literally:
M:
Grazie – Thank you
Non – not
Dovevi – you had to
Non dovevi (x2) means “you didn’t have to”, or also “you shouldn’t have”. Thank you, but you shouldn’t have:
M: Grazie, non dovevi (x2)
K: Whenever I’ve cooked and Matteo says non dovevi , he really means it.
M: Well, it depends, you’re really good at desserts, so if it’s a cheesecake, I’m happy! Next, who would say to the Joy of Languages Team, grazie di tutto.
K: Thank you for everything. Literally:
M:
Grazie – Thank you
Di – Of
Tutto – Everything
K: I say this phrase all the time, because I’m very thankful for everything that our brilliant team does! It means thank you for everything.
M: Notice how here we use a different way of saying “thank you for”. Instead of saying grazie per we say grazie di . And tutto means “everything”, or “all”. Thanks for everything:
M: Grazie di tutto (x2)
K: What’s the difference between grazie di and grazie per? Most of the time, they’re interchangeable. But there’s this one phrase grazie di tutto, where it sounds most natural to use di.
M: Ok, last one. Who would say grazie di cuore to our students?
K: That’s “thank you from the heart”, literally:
M:
Grazie – Thank you
Di – of
Cuore – heart
K: That’s a trick question, we would both say that one!
M: Cuore means heart, that’s why we use it in this expression. Maybe not too different from the word “core” in English, it’s kind of the center or heart of something.
K: Grazie di cuore is similar to the idea of “heartfelt thanks” in English. So yes, grazie di cuore from us to you.
M: Sì, grazie di cuore.
K: Ok, let’s see what you can remember. How would you say “thank you for the macchiato ”.
[...]
M: Grazie per il macchiato (x2).
K: And there was that funny expression to say “I didn’t expect it”:
[...]
M: Non me lo aspettavo (x2)
K: And thank you very much? Thanks a thousand?
[...]
M: Grazie mille (x2)
K: Thank you in advance?
[...]
M: Grazie in anticipo (x2).
K: What expression should we use to say that someone didn’t need to go out of their way. Thank you, you shouldn’t have:
[...]
M: Grazie, non dovevi (x2).
K: How would we give our heartfelt thanks?
[...]
M: Grazie di cuore.
K: And thank you for everything?
[...]
M: Grazie di tutto.
K: There are lots of different phrases you can use to say “thank you” in Italian. They’re fun to learn because they allow you to show thanks in interesting ways for different situations. Almost all the phrases contain the word grazie, so that’s one word you’ve got already.
M: Yes, you can find them on our blog, together with all the key phrases and when you can use them.
K: You’ll also get vocabulary cards and a quiz. Head over by clicking the link in the description, or by going to italian.joyoflanguages.com/podcast and search for episode 153.
M - See you next time.
K - Or as we say in Italian.
Alla prossima!
Time to check your understanding and remember everything you just learned! Below you’ll find a mini-quiz and some vocabulary cards to help it all go in.
Quiz
How much did you learn? Find out in the quiz!
Click here to take the quiz for this episode: How to say thank you in Italian: the most useful phrases
Vocabulary
Grazie mille = Thank you very much
Grazie di cuore = My heartfelt thanks
Grazie di tutto = Thank you for everything
Grazie per il / la… = Thank for the…
Grazie, non dovevi = Thank you, you shouldn’t have
Grazie in anticipo = Thank you in advance
Grazie davvero = I really thank you, thank you so much
Grazie ancora = Thank you again
Grazie a te = Thank you (informal)
Grazie a Lei = Thank you (formal)
Flashcards: How to say thank you in Italian: the most useful phrases
Not sure how it works? Click here to watch the tutorial
