say thank you
/seɪ θæŋk juː/
Meaning
To 'say thank you' means to express gratitude, appreciation, or politeness to someone who has done something nice, helpful, or kind for you.
Examples
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Always remember to say thank you when someone gives you a gift.
Always remember to say thank you when someone gives you a gift.
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I called my grandmother to say thank you for the birthday card.
I called my grandmother to say thank you for the birthday card.
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It is polite to say thank you to the waiter when they bring your food.
It is polite to say thank you to the waiter when they bring your food.
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She wrote a short note to say thank you for the lovely dinner.
She wrote a short note to say thank you for the lovely dinner.
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He forgot to say thank you, which made him look a bit rude.
He forgot to say thank you, which made him look a bit rude.
Common Mistakes
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✗ I want to say thanks you for your help.
✓ I want to say thank you for your help.
Do not combine 'thanks' and 'you'. It is either 'thank you' (formal/neutral) or 'thanks' (informal).
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✗ She said thank you to me for the ride.
✓ She thanked me for the ride.
While 'say thank you to [someone]' is grammatically correct, it is often more natural to use the verb 'thank [someone]' directly, or just 'say thank you' without the object.
Related Expressions
Practice
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Did you ___ to your teacher for helping you after class?
💡 Express gratitude.
Show answer
say thank you
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It's important to ___ even for small favors.
💡 Polite expression.
Show answer
say thank you