From this article you’ll learn how to say “thank you” in Russian and key thanking phrases every beginner should know. I’ll also show you what to reply to “thank you” and how to refuse politely not to hurt anyone. Another cool thing that you’ll find here is how Google Translate may let you down and how not to fall into this trap.
How to accept and decline favor in Russian
In most cases we use thanking words to express gratitude when we accept something that is done or presented for us by other people. But it’s also important to use them when we decline favor. The next passages are right about that.
Russian “thank you”
| In Russian | In English | Audio | Pronunciation | Where to use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Спасибо | Thank you | Spa—sí—ba | Formal/Informal | |
| Спасибо большое | Thank you very much | Spa—sí—ba bal’—shо́e | Formal/Informal | |
| Спасибо огромное | Thank you very much | Spa—sí—ba ag—rо́m—nae | Formal/Informal |
While getting ready to write this note, I looked through a huge number of articles such as “151 way to say thank you in Russian.” And you know what? It’s ridiculous! The modern Russian language is not so diverse when it comes to the expression of gratitude.
The only basic phrase used daily in 99.99% of cases is: Спасибо. It is used in both formal and informal situations. Well, if you feel that one word is not enough and you want to express deep gratitude, then add the word большое which means big or огромное (huge).
As you know, the Russian word order is unfixed, so, you can say Спасибо большое or Большое спасибо: the sense of the sentence will be the same.
Grammar note. If you want to say thank you for certain things, then use this construction:
Спасибо большое + за + Accusative case
For example:
- Спасибо (большое/огромное) за приглашение (Thank you for the invitation) or
- Спасибо (большое/огромное) за заботу (Thank you for the care).
“No, thank you” in Russian
We use thank you not only for positive acceptance but also to refuse politely. Here are some phrases that might come in handy.
| In Russian | In English | Audio | Pronunciation | Where to use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Спасибо, нет | No, thank you | Spa—sib—á, nе́t | Formal/Informal | |
| Спасибо, не стоит | No need, thank you | Spa—si—bá, ni stо́—it | Formal/Informal |
I looked up and found that when a Russian says Спасибо, нет or Спасибо, не стоит, an English speaker would say something like “Thanks, I’m good,” or “No, I’m fine, thanks.” In comparison to the English version, Russian sounds much more direct and brutal.
What to reply to thanking words: you’re welcome in Russian
It’s equally important not only to know how to say “thank you”, but to reply to this phrase as well. So, in the next couple of passages I’ll show you some casual replies and some very formal ones – for special occasions.
Casual replies to “thank you”
| In Russian | In English | Audio | Pronunciation | Where to use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Пожалуйста | You’re welcome | Pa—zhа́—lus—ta | Informal | |
| На здоровье | You’re welcome | Na zda—rо́—vje | Informal | |
| Не за что | Never mind | Nе́ za shta | Informal |
The most widely spread word to reply to the gratitude is Пожалуйста. It might seem weird, but Пожалуйста means both “you’re welcome” and “please”, depending on the context. Look at this example:
As a beginner, you probably will not believe, but world-famous На здоровье is not even close to a drinking toast! I’m still wondering, why does everyone think that we say На здоровье as cheers? I heard that they do in Poland, but in Russia, we don’t. Here На здоровье is an informal way to say that you’re glad to help.
Now, a couple of words about Не за что. You might probably ask, what do these three little words mean? It’s quite difficult to give a more or less adequate translation, but let’s try. “Не” – not, “за” – for, “что” – that. I hope it makes some sense.
Secondly, pay attention to the way we put stress in a phrase. We don’t stress every syllable of each word: Не за что (wrong) but pronounce it as if it was one word with a stress on the first syllable: Не-за-что.
Formal replies to “thank you”
Sometimes, especially in formal situations we need “exchange” gratitude. Here’s what I mean.
| In Russian | In English | Audio | Pronunciation | Where to use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ну что вы! Не стоит меня благодарить! | Please, you don’t have to thank me | Spa—sib—á, nе́t | Formal | |
| Это я должен (должна fem.) вас благодарить! | I should thank you! | Spa—si—bá, ni stо́—it | Formal |
Ну что вы! Не стоит меня благодарить! (Please, you don’t have to thank me). Pay attention to stress in the first part. We merge three words and pronounce not Ну что вы! (wrong), but Ну-что-вы! with a stress on the second vowel.
Это я должен (должна fem.) вас благодарить! (Please, I should thank you!) This phrase is helpful when you want to “return” gratitude to someone who did something good to you first.
Russian translation for “thank you”
This is how the most popular online translator – Google Translate puts “Thank you” in Russian.
It’s imperative to know that even though the program is technically correct, the phrase Благодарю вас is outdated and very formal. I would say, that the most equivalent to it would be “I’m so obliged to you.”
While I was in the office, I had a 75 years old colleague. He always said Благодарю вас (Bla—go—da—rú vas) and as a gallant person, entering the room; he exclaimed: “My compliments, ladies!.” Such old phrases were part of his personality, but, you’ll hardly hear them somewhere at the street.
So, not to sound like a hero of an old Chekhov’s play, I would advise using Спасибо or Спасибо большое.
Helpful resources
While picking up the information for this article, I looked through a lot of websites and found some worthy ones that might be helpful if you want to know more about the way Russians thank each other.