Hello students from all over the world! In the September article we talked about how to compliment someone, So I thought you would need to know how to respond. It is so nice when someone says something kind to us, but how do we respond to all those compliments? If in addition to embarrassment, we can't find the words because we don't know them, it might seem that we didn't like the compliments but if not, we need to enrich our vocabulary.
Even those who have recently begun to take their first steps in the Italian language know the word "THANK YOU!"
Sometimes, however, it seems trivial or insufficient…or you feel like diversifying and trying new expressions as well. This article is designed precisely to meet those needs!
then let's start with:
1) say thank you with the addition of terms that reinforce the meaning:
GRAZIE MILLE!
MILLE GRAZIE!
GRAZIE INFINITE!
MOLTE GRAZIE!
GRAZIE TANTE!
GRAZIE DI CUORE!
THANK YOU VERY/SO MUCH!
MANY THANKS!
THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!
WARNING!
One mistake that those studying Italian often make is to use "Thank you for / of + a verb in the infinitive"
Examples:
Grazie di chiamare
Thank you for calling
Grazie per rispondere
Thank you for responding
Grazie di aiutarmi
Thank you for helping me
In Italian, however, this structure is not correct!
In fact, in these cases, the grammatically correct structure is:
Thank you + OF / FOR + infinitive auxiliary + past participle of the verb
Examples:
Grazie di aver chiamato
Thank you for calling
Grazie per aver risposto
Thank you for responding
Grazie di avermi aiutato
Thank you for helping me
Or the alternative structure is:
Thank you + OF / FOR + noun
Examples:
Grazie della chiamata
Thanks for the call
Grazie per la risposta
Thank you for your reply
Grazie dell’aiuto
Thanks for your help
Let’s discover the 5 most common mistakes made by Italian learners!
2) The verb "to give thanks" ringraziare
N.B. When we use "thank you," since it is a verb, we must be very careful to conjugate it correctly! Therefore, we will say:
Ti ringrazio! Thank you. → in informal contexts, if the person to thank is our friend, relative, close acquaintance...
La ringrazio! Thank you! → in formal settings, if we are addressing our employer, professor, doctor, or if we do not know the person in front of us
Vi ringrazio! Thank you! → If there are more than one person to thank, whether in a formal or informal setting.
This verb can also be reinforced with other terms. We will thus have expressions such as:
Ti ringrazio di cuore
I thank you from the bottom of my heart!
La ringrazio tanto (formal)
Thank you very much!
Vi ringrazio tanto
Thank you (all) so much!
3) The expression "to be grateful to someone of/for something" “essere grati a qualcuno di / per qualcosa”
Examples:
Sono grata ai miei genitori per avermi pagato le tasse universitarie!
I am grateful to my parents for paying my college tuition!
Ti sono grato per avermi aiutato a realizzare questo video!
I am grateful to you for helping me make this video!
4) The expression "owe a favor (to someone)" → "owe something to someone" “dovere un favore (a qualcuno)“ → “dovere qualcosa a qualcuno” means to owe something: in this case, a favor
Example:
Devo un favore a Lorenzo per avermi aiutato a montare questo armadio!
I owe Lorenzo a favor for helping me assemble this cabinet!
What better occasion than this to thank my students who are reading this article?
Well, I take this opportunity to open a small parenthesis to say hello and thank you to all my students and readers, working as an italki tutor has been a parenthesis of my life that I will never forget (and that I don't deny that I miss so much) thanks to these articles I am still able to keep in touch with this world. I remember that a student of mine who later became my friend (with whom we also met by arranging for a vacation), had the word "grazie" dedicated to the Italian and Italy. Just as it was for her, it was gratifying for me knowing that I have been helpful to someone. So today I leave you with this word, gratifying - feeling gratified. (gratificare - sentirsi gratificati).
I would like each of you in the comments to write what you feel grateful for.
Talk to you in November, ciaoo dear students :)
