How to Say "Thank You" in Russian

"Thank you" in Russian is спасибо (spasíbo). It is one of the first words worth saying perfectly, because you will use it dozens of times a day - and Russians notice when a guest says it warmly.

In Russian

спасибо

spasíbo - thank you

Variants & registers

большое спасибоbolshóye spasíbo
thank you very much (literally: a big thank you)
warmer / emphatic
спасибо большоеspasíbo bolshóye
thanks a lot - the same phrase, words flipped (just as common)
neutral
благодарю васblagodaryú vas
I thank you - markedly formal and polite
formal
спасибо за всёspasíbo za vsyo
thank you for everything
heartfelt

Breakdown & pronunciation

Pronunciation

Stress the middle syllable: spa-SEE-ba. The final о is unstressed, so it softens to an "a" sound (spa-SEE-ba, not spa-SEE-bo). The с at the start is a clean "s", never a "z".

Exemples de phrases

Спасибо за помощь!
Spasíbo za pómoshch!
Thanks for the help!
Большое спасибо за ужин.
Bolshóye spasíbo za úzhin.
Thank you very much for the dinner.
Спасибо, всё было очень вкусно.
Spasíbo, vsyo býlo óchen vkúsno.
Thank you, everything was delicious.
Нет, спасибо.
Net, spasíbo.
No, thank you.

Usage & etiquette

To reply to a thank you, the everyday word is пожалуйста (pozháluysta), which doubles as "please" and "you're welcome". A more casual reply is не за что (né za chto), literally "it's nothing".

большое спасибо (bolshóye spasíbo) and спасибо большое mean the same thing - word order is free here, and both are extremely common. Save благодарю вас for formal or written contexts; it can sound stiff in casual speech.

Practice

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FAQ

How do you say "thank you" in Russian?

"Thank you" in Russian is спасибо (spasíbo), stressed on the middle syllable: spa-SEE-ba. For "thank you very much" say большое спасибо (bolshóye spasíbo).

How do you reply to "thank you" in Russian?

The standard reply is пожалуйста (pozháluysta), which also means "please". A more casual "no problem" is не за что (né za chto).

What is the difference between спасибо and благодарю?

спасибо is the everyday "thank you" used in almost every situation. благодарю (or благодарю вас) is more formal and literary - fine in writing or a speech, but it can sound stiff in casual conversation.

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