8 Ways to Respond to Grazie in Italian

Italians are very creative people and it will be very easy for you to get a little bit confused when listening to different answers to grazie in only a single day!

So, do not worry, we are going to have a look at the most common answers you can give, so as to find yourself prepared for any situation, be it formal in the workplace or with people you don’t know directly, or informal with your friends and family!

These answers are perfect to be used in speaking and you can immediately apply them in your daily life!

Let's start with the most known answer, which I am pretty sure you have already heard in some books or heard pronounced by an Italian speaker:

1. Prego!

This is the easiest and fastest way to answer to someone thanking you.

You will never get wrong if you answer prego, because it is valid both in formal and informal situations. One thing about prego, is that on one hand it is very fast and easy to say, but on the other hand it is also the less creative answer you can give, as it is very neutral and standard.

Let's then explore together other interesting and alternative ways to answer to grazie!

2. Di niente! / Di nulla!

These two answers are interchangeable and you will use them when you want to minimalize your effort in helping someone.

This way of replying is usually also accompanied by a shrug of your shoulders and a shake of your head, as this gesture very well emphasizes that you did not have that much of an effort in helping the other person.

IMPORTANT REMINDER: Italians will always accompany words with very colourful gestures! Gestures are, indeed, an essential part of the communication in Italian.

But this would need to be explained in another article, as it is a huge world to describe!

The same “rule of the gesture” applies to the next one:

3. Non c’è di che!

Indeed, saying this will also be perceived in a very kind way, as you do not want the other person to think that you experienced some effort in helping them.

Same here, if you accompany this answer by shaking a hand in the air, this will definitely have much more impact on your interlocutor.

4. Figurati! (in informal situations) / Si figuri! (in formal situations)

You will answer this way to mean don't mind, it is ok.

It is a kind way to say that helping it was absolutely no effort for you.

5. E di che?!

I know, this one really looks like a question, but it is not.

Indeed, it is a rhetorical question, so it does not need to be responded.

It more or less corresponds to the polite anytime! in English.

Remember, this one is perfect in informal situations!

You do not want to use it at work or in any formal situation where some sort of rigour is required.

6. Ma ti pare! / Ma che scherzi! / Ci mancherebbe!

These three are very similar to the previous one, and they are also very informal. You will use them when you want to communicate that your help was sort of taken for granted and that it did not cost you anything.

The meaning between the lines could be explicitly translated as “Of course! This is the minimum I could do to help you out. You do not have to thank me!”

Even if you moved heaven and earth to help your friend solve the problem, you just want to be kind and friendly.

7. (È stato) un piacere!

This one literally means my pleasure!

You will use it when you want to emphasize that you are more than glad to be of help and of course you want to sound kind and nice.

Sometimes it feels so good to show people that helping was just a pleasure and not a heavy thing!

And last but not least, another effective way to respond back is by simply thanking the other person back straight without any further complications, if of course, you also received a favour back.

In this case, you could directly say: