Ever wanted to know how to say please and thank you in Chinese, German, or Swahili? Read on for a list of these polite expressions in many languages and lean how to say please and thank you in different languages.
Top Twenty Most Widely Spoken Languages
If you’re going to learn please and thank you in different languages, perhaps the best way to start is with the twenty most widely spoken languages. These languages each have over 60 million native speakers.
- Mandarin : Qing; Xie xie
- Spanish: Por favor; Gracias
- English: Please; Thank you
- Hindi/Urdu: Merker-bani seh; Shukriya or danyavad
- Arabic: Min fadlak; Shukran
- Bengali: Doya kore; Dhanyabad
- Portuguese: Se faz favor; Obrigado (male), Obrigada (female)
- Russian: Pozhaluista; Spasibo
- Japanese: Kudasai; Domo arigato
- German: Bitte; Danke
- Javanese: Kulo-aturi ki; Matur nuwun
- Punjab: i Merhebani kerke; Dannvaad
- Wu: Te kue zhou; Ciohkue jiajia non
- Telugu: Dayachesi; Dhanyavaadaalu
- Marathi: Krupaya; Abhari ahi
- French : S’il vous plaît; Merci
- Vietnamese: Xin; Cám ơn
- Korean: Shipshiyo; Komapsumnida
- Tamil: Dhayavu seydhu; Nandri
- Italian: Per favore; Grazie
In case you are unfamiliar with some of those languages, Mandarin and Wu (also known as Shanghainese) are spoken in China. Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Telugu, Marathi, and Tamil are all languages spoken in Indian. Javanese is a language spoken in Indonesia.
Please and Thank You in Europe
If you find yourself backpacking through Europe, the following words and phrases may help you interact politely with those around you.
Irish Gaelic: Le d’thoil; Go raibh maith agat
Polish: Prosze; Dziekuje
Finnish: Olkaa hyvä; Kiitos
Swedish: Varsågod; Tack
Norwegian: Vennligst; Takk
Ukrainian: Bud’ laska; Dyakooyu
Croatian: Molim; Hvala
Dutch: Alstublieft; Dank u
Georgian: Too sheydslebah; Mahd-lob
Greek : Parakalo; Efcharisto
Icelandic: Gjörðu svo vel; Takk
Hungarian: Kérem; Köszönöm
Romanian: Vã rog; Multumesc
Slovenian: Prosim; Hvala
Slovak: Prosím; Dakujem
Lithuanian: Prašom; Achiu
Latvian: Ludzu; Paldies
Estonian: Palun; Tänan
Turkish: Lütfen; Tesekkür ederim
Armenian: Hajis; Shnorhagallem
Albanian: Ju lutem; Ju falem nderit
Bulgarian: Molya; Blagodarya
Belorussian: Kaliláska; Dziakuju
Catalan (Spain): Sisplau; Gràcies
Asian Pleases and Thank Yous
If you find yourself wandering around Asia, you may be able to use the following ways of saying please and thank you.
Mongolian: Tanaas neg yum khuse; Bayarlalaa
Thai: Daiprod; Khawp khun
Tagalog (Philippines): Pakikunin; Salamat
Malay: Silakan; Terima kasih
Uzbek: Marhamat; Rakhmat
Kazakh: Marhamet; Rahmet
Farsi (Iran): Khhelesh mikonam; Tashakkur
Tajik: Lutfan; Tashakur
Khmer (Cambodia): Suom; Ar kun
North and South American Pleases and Thank Yous
Much of North and South America is English-, Spanish- or Portuguese-speaking, but there are many other languages spoken in small pockets if you know where to look.
Navajo: T’aa shoodi; Ahéhee'
Lakhota: Yo (male), Ye (female); Pilamaya aloh
Chinook: Nixua; Masiem
Ojibwe (Chippewa): Daga; Miigwech
Náhuatl (Aztec): Nimitzmotlahtlauhtilia; Tlazohcamati
Quechua (Peru): Allichu; Paylla
Haitian Creole: Souplé; Mèsi
Kekchi (Guatemala): Baanu usilal; Bantiox
Please and Thank You Around Africa
Africa has thousands of languages, but here are a few pleases and thank yous from the most widely spoken African languages.
Wolof (West Africa): Baal ma; Jerejef
Swahili: Tafadhali; Asante
Yoruba (West Africa): E jòwó; E se é
Xhosa (South Africa): Nceda; Ndiyabulela
Zulu (South Africa): Jabulisa; Ngiyabonga
Afrikaans (South Africa): Asseblief; Dankie
Asante (Ghana): Mepa wo kyéw; Meda w’asé
Amharic (Ethiopia): Ibakkwon; Amesegënallô
Around the World
Of course there are many more ways to say please and thank you in different languages not listed here. If you are curious about other countries, be sure to check out travel guidebooks, bilingual dictionaries, and online translation sites.
References
Omniglot Staff. https://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/
Runner, Jennifer. https://users.elite.net/runner/jennifers/
