How to Say "Thank You" in Russian

By Daily Cyrillic · Updated

“Thank You” in Russian is спасибо (spasíbo). Use this expression as your starting point, then check the examples for tone, formality and context. Listen to the pronunciation, notice the stressed syllable and compare the common variants before choosing the wording that fits your conversation.

Reading time: about 3 min.

Russian
спасибо
Transliteration
spasíbo
Meaning
thank you

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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".

Example sentences

  • 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.

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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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