There’s more to a “thank you” than just danke. Gratitude is not only a key part of our daily interactions but also one of those important first steps when figuring out how to learn German. Once you find yourself comfortable reading the German alphabet, you’ll want to learn some easy terms and phrases like how to say “thank you” in German—we’ve put several of them here!
With this guide, you can show your appreciation to close friends and family, give the proper thanks for formal and professional settings, and find out how different regions around Germany and other German-speaking countries approach gratitude.
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7 expressive ways to say danke (thank you) in German
One of the first words you’ll discover in the German language is danke (thanks). It’s an easy word to show your gratitude for interactions you’ll have with Germans, Austrians, and other people in German-speaking countries. Much like learning how to say “I love you” in German, you quickly discover that there are a few easy ways to expand on the simple word for “thanks.” For a handy reference, grow your vocabulary on how to say “thank you” in German with the seven short and easy phrases explained below.
Vielen Dank
As one of the most used expressions of gratitude in German, vielen Dank translates directly to English as “many thanks.” You can use vielen Dank as a slightly more formal and appreciative way to say “thank you” in German, but it’s not so formal that you couldn’t use it for your friend who just gave you a ride to work. Other than in casual situations, you’ll hear vielen dank used in professional emails, customer service, or restaurants when the server brings that delicious German food you’ve been craving.
- Vielen Dank für die Blumen. = Many thanks for the flowers.
- Vielen Dank für den Kaffee, mein Gehirn funktioniert wieder. = Thanks for the coffee, my brain is working again.
Herzlichen Dank
As a step up in warmth, Herzlichen Dank means “heartfelt thanks” and carries a touch of emotional sentiment. This is a great choice of German words for when your dear Oma von Deutschland (grandmother from Germany) bakes you a delicious Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (Black Forest cherry cake) and you want to give her a kind word in return. Because of the personal touch, this form of “thank you” in German might not be as appropriate for formal settings where you don’t know the other person very well or intimately.
- Herzlichen Dank für die Gastfreundschaft. = Heartfelt thanks for the hospitality.
- Das war eine wunderbare Torte, Oma, herzlichen Dank. = That was a wonderful cake, Grandma, heartfelt thanks.
Danke sehr
You can keep an air of professionalism and formality with the phrase danke sehr, which is how to say “thank you very much” in German. While not as commonly used as vielen Dank (many thanks), you can still hear danke sehr in polite and professional interactions.
This can include situations like when a shop owner holds the door open for you, or when a new business client accepts your marketing proposal at that all-important meeting. The use of sehr (very) amplifies your thanks, so be wary of using this phrase when you don’t want to come across too strongly to new professional acquaintances.
- Danke sehr für die Einladung. = Thank you very much for the invitation.
- Danke sehr für Ihre Unterstützung in dieser Angelegenheit. = Thank you very much for your support in this matter.
Tausend Dank
Literally meaning “a thousand thanks,” tausend Dank is an emphatic and largely informal way to express an exceedingly high level of gratitude in the German language. It’s perfect for friendly and even romantic settings where you want to show the utmost appreciation for those closest people in your life.
While this phrase wouldn’t be a good choice for a business letter or email, you can say tausend Dank as a fun and expressive way to say thanks for an especially thoughtful gift, a kind favor, or a wonderful date night out with your partner. If you’re genuinely thrilled about something someone did for you, tausend Dank adds that extra pop of enthusiasm.
- Tausend Dank, dass du mich vom Flughafen abgeholt hast! = A thousand thanks for picking me up from the airport!
- Ich kann dir gar nicht genug danken—tausend Dank für alles! = I can’t thank you enough—a thousand thanks for everything!
Danke, gleichfalls
On your way out of a German beer garden when the host calls out schönen Tag noch (“Have a nice day!”), you can politely respond with danke, gleichfalls meaning “thanks, you too.” This is a polite response used after any well-wishes or kind goodbyes in many situations, from formal settings to friendly departures. As a polite, simple, and straightforward response, you can use danke, gleichfalls to keep the manners flowing like a true German in the office and on the way out the door from your friend’s house on game night.
- Schönen Abend noch! Danke, gleichfalls! = Have a nice evening! Thanks, you too!
- Bleib gesund! Danke, gleichfalls! = Stay healthy! Thanks, you too!
Danke im Voraus
If you want to thank someone ahead of time, danke im Voraus (thanks in advance) is the phrase to use. More often written in an email than it is spoken, this phrase is typically used when you ask something of someone like a favor or a new work-associated task. This is a polite and formal way to say “thank you” in German but use it with caution.
Thanking someone in advance can seem as presumptuous in German as it does in English! You can soften the impact of danke im Voraus by adding Ich würde mich freuen, wenn… (I’d appreciate it if…) before making your request if you want to come across more diplomatically. Danke im Voraus for doing so!
- Danke im Voraus für eure Unterstützung bei diesem Projekt. = Thanks in advance for your support on this project.
- Können Sie mir das bis morgen mitteilen? Danke im Voraus! = Can you let me know by tomorrow? Thanks in advance!
Danke an alle!
Danke an alle (thanks everyone) is spoken in group settings when you want to thank a large number of people in attendance or written to your audience as an appreciation for reading your new book. It’s warm, inclusive, and a solid choice for social or professional get-togethers. As a regional variant in southern Germany and Switzerland, you can sound like a native and say danke, miteinander (thanks everyone) instead to match the local dialect.
- Danke an alle für die Glückwünsche zu meinem Geburtstag. = Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes.
- Danke an alle, die gekommen sind—es war ein wundervoller Abend. = Thanks to everyone who came—it was a wonderful evening.
Danke schön
Used in everyday interactions, danke schön (thank you very much) is both polite and leans towards the formal side of German thank yous. It isn’t overly stiff and carries a respectful tone, so you can feel confident using it in professional and friendly interactions alike, but it can come across as a bit old-fashioned compared to a simple danke (thank you) in very casual conversations.
You’ll often hear danke schön paired with bitte schön (you’re very welcome) as a response. For example, if you say danke schön to a Metzger (butcher) who just recommended a particular choice cut of meat to you, they might respond with bitte schön to acknowledge your words politely.
- Das war eine große Hilfe, danke schön! = That was a big help, thank you very much!
- Danke schön für das wunderbare Geschenk. = Thank you very much for the wonderful gift.
Danke vielmals
Similar to vielen Dank (many thanks), danke vielmals (thanks a lot) is an enthusiastic way to express your gratitude in German. Though this form of “thank you” in German is emphatic, it still doesn’t quite cross the threshold into full formality, so you can use it in both formal and informal situations. You might choose this phrase when someone does you a big favor, like helping you carry some heavy bags or giving you a generous gift.
While polite, danke vielmals has more of a traditional feel to it and is less commonly used in everyday spoken German compared to other ways to say “thank you” in German like danke schön or vielen Dank.
- Danke vielmals für Ihre Unterstützung bei diesem Projekt. = Many thanks for your support with this project.
- Ich habe dein Paket erhalten—danke vielmals! = I received your package—many thanks!
Ich danke Ihnen
Thanks to the use of Ihnen, which is the formal, second-person “you,” Ich danke Ihnen is a very formal and respectful way to say “I thank you” in German. This phrase is appropriate for professional settings, polite conversations with new acquaintances, and situations where you want to show respect like when speaking to an elder. This is also a great two-for-one phrase, since Ihnen can be used as a formal “you” or a formal “you all” when you want to respectfully thank a group of people all at once.
Because of the level of formality Ich danke Ihnen, you wouldn’t want to say it amongst friends or casual situations where it would come across as overly formal and stiff. If you are in casual company, you can switch to Ich danke dir (I thank you, informal), where dir is the informal “you,” or Ich danke euch allen (I thank you all, informal), where euch is an informal way to say “you all.”
- Ich danke Ihnen für Ihre schnelle Antwort auf meine E-Mail. = I thank you for your quick response to my email.
- Ich danke Ihnen für Ihr Vertrauen und Ihre Zusammenarbeit. = I thank you for your trust and cooperation.
- Ich danke Ihnen herzlich für die Gelegenheit, hier arbeiten zu dürfen. = I sincerely thank you for the opportunity to work here.
Danke, sehr aufmerksam
Sometimes a surprise action is done for you or given to you that shows how much thought and care someone has for you. When you want to acknowledge this thoughtful act, you can earnestly respond with danke, sehr aufmerksam (thank you, very thoughtful).
Think of when your best friend brought your favorite snack on a road trip because they remembered you mentioning it was your ideal treat to eat. By saying this phrase, you not only show your appreciation for something, but also point out the extra thought behind it without sounding overly formal.
- Danke, sehr aufmerksam von Ihnen, daran zu denken! = Thank you, very thoughtful of you to think of that!
- Dass Sie mir die Tür aufhalten, danke, sehr aufmerksam. = Thank you for holding the door for me, very thoughtful.
- Danke, sehr aufmerksam von dir, mir eine Jacke zu bringen – es ist wirklich kalt draußen! = Thank you, very thoughtful of you for bringing me a jacket – it’s really cold outside!
What’s the difference between Dankeschön and danke schön?
Similar to the difference between Dank (thanks) and danke (thank you), there’s some confusion to clear up around Dankeschön and danke schön. An easy way to remember the difference between the two is to think of the noun Dankeschön as meaning “a token of appreciation,” compared to danke schön which is a direct form of “thank you” in German. Since Dankeschön is always capitalized, you can remember to always use it as a noun in your sentences.
Here’s an example of Dankeschön used appropriately in a sentence:
- Als kleines Dankeschön habe ich dir eine Schokolade mitgebracht. = As a small token of appreciation, I brought you some chocolate.
Compare this to how you would use danke schön in a sentence:
- Danke schön für deine Hilfe! = Thank you very much for your help!
When to use Dank vs. danke
Some of the most perceptive of readers will notice a difference between when danke (thank you) is capitalized as in tausend Dank (a thousand thanks) and when it is not as in danke sehr (thank you very much). Understand that all nouns are capitalized in the German language, regardless of whether it’s a proper noun or not, and despite if that noun is at the beginning, middle, or end of the sentence.
That means anytime you want to use the noun form of danke, you need to capitalize the letter “d” at the start of the word and drop the “e” off the end of it, like with vielen Dank (many thanks). In contrast, when you’re directly saying “thanks,” like in danke schön (thank you very much), the word is no longer a noun, so it requires no capitalization or shortening. Pay close attention to the difference as you learn how to say “thank you” in German.
Polite and casual ways to say ‘no, thank you’ in German
A proper decline can be just as necessary a usage of danke (thanks) in German. When you want to say “no, thank you” in German, the most direct way is to say nein, danke (no thanks), but this isn’t the most appropriate way to go about giving a polite “no” in every social situation. Show your tact, cultural awareness, and impressive German vocabulary by saying “no, thank you” in German more creatively with one of the phrases here.
Nicht nötig, aber danke
Nicht nötig, aber danke is a polite and humble way to decline an offer and translates to English as “not necessary but thank you.” You can use this phrase in more formal situations when you appreciate the sentiment of the offer given but simply don’t want or need to accept it. Using nicht nötig, aber danke will help you to steer clear of seeming ungrateful or rude to your new assistant asking if you need a third cup of coffee during a long day at work. It helps keep the tone of your conversation polite without having to say yes to something you don’t want or don’t really need.
Ich komme zurecht, danke
As a little more personal of a saying, Ich komme zurecht, danke (I can manage, thank you) is often said to politely turn down help or an offer of assistance. It helps to acknowledge that you’re able to handle the situation on your own while minding your tone as you say it. If you say this in an irritated or exasperated tone of voice, then the listener might take it to mean that their assistance is entirely unhelpful, that they’ve offered an annoying amount of help to you, or they may think they’ve offended you.
If this isn’t how you intend the message—even though it may be how you feel—keep a positive and friendly note to your voice as you say Ich komme zurecht, danke to maintain professionalism and show that you appreciate the offer but are okay on your own.
Nee, lass mal
Have you already said “no, thank you” in German a few times and your friend just won’t drop the subject? Then you can assert yourself a little more sternly by stating Nee, lass mal (no, leave it alone). Nee is a colloquial version of nein (no) used in informal and casual situations, and lass mal translates to “let it be” or “don’t bother.”
While it’s not a formal way to decline an offer—and shouldn’t be used as a first response—it can be a helpful response to firmly reestablish a boundary that’s being pushed by a friend or casual acquaintance.
How to say ‘thank you’ in German-speaking regions across Europe
Traveling around the heart of Europe is more than just exploring sights of towering mountains, lush farmland, and meticulous architecture—it’s also an exercise in linguistic diversity. With so many German dialects spoken in Germany, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, and more, it’s important to learn how phrases like how to say “thank you” in German or “hello” in German change when you travel from one city or country to the next.
Feel more at home and avoid sticking out like a sore thumb by learning these regional variations for “thank you” shown in the chart below.
| German | English Translation | Region |
| Danke fei | thank you | Bavaria |
| Danke wohl | many thanks | Northern Germany |
| Dankschee | thank you | Austria |
| Gottseidank | thank God | Southern Germany, Austria |
| Merci | thanks | Switzerland, Belgium |
Use the well-intended Vergelt’s Gott with caution
Certain German phrases come from the nation’s deep historical ties to religion dating back to the Holy Roman Empire, and Vergelt’s Gott (may God reward you) is one of them. You’re most likely to hear this term used in rural areas of southern Germany, the mountains (the Alps) in Austria, or among older generations. As you might expect, this phrase has religious connotations that you’ll want to be careful about bringing up in uncertain company.
While intended to be very kind and inoffensive, this phrase could be seen as presumptuous to the non-religious people or that you’re trying to push your beliefs on them. You’re best off waiting until you hear someone using this term in a town before attempting to use it yourself in casual settings.
Use your own creativity to say ‘thanks’ without danke
So, how do you say “thank you” in German without the same old use of danke (thank you)? Now that you have 21 different ways to use this word, consider what other ways you can use your German language skills to show your thankfulness.Point out someone’s kindness with phrases like Das ist sehr nett von Ihnen (that’s very kind of you) or show your appreciation with Ich weiß das zu schätzen (I appreciate it). With Rosetta Stone live lessons, you can learn many ways to creatively express yourself beyond the simple danke and deepen your understanding of the German language.
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