---
title: "How to Say \"Thank You\" in Russian: Спасибо (With Audio)"
description: "How to say \"thank you\" in Russian: спасибо (spasíbo), how to say \"thank you very much\", how to reply, plus pronunciation, examples and audio."
canonical: "https://dailycyrillic.com/learn/how-to-say/thank-you"
lang: "en"
published: "2026-06-13T18:41:48.000Z"
modified: "2026-11-02T10:04:45.000Z"
author: "Daily Cyrillic"
---

# How to Say "Thank You" in Russian

By [Daily Cyrillic](/about) · Updated 2 Nov 2026

“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

## Turn this guide into words you can use

Build a free Russian set for this topic, with examples and ElevenLabs AI audio.

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.

## Practice

### Practice deck

1 / 5

## 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.

## Turn this guide into words you can use

Build a free Russian set for this topic, with examples and ElevenLabs AI audio.

[All Russian phrases](/learn/russian-phrases)

## More phrases to say

-   [
    
    How to Say "Hello"
    
    здравствуйте (zdrávstvuyte)
    
    ](/learn/how-to-say/hello)
-   [
    
    How to Say "Yes"
    
    да (da)
    
    ](/learn/how-to-say/yes)
-   [
    
    How to Say "No"
    
    нет (net)
    
    ](/learn/how-to-say/no)
-   [
    
    How to Say "Please"
    
    пожалуйста (pozháluysta)
    
    ](/learn/how-to-say/please)
-   [
    
    How to Say "Sorry"
    
    извините (izviníte)
    
    ](/learn/how-to-say/sorry)
-   [
    
    How to Say "I Love You"
    
    я тебя люблю (ya tebyá lyublyú)
    
    ](/learn/how-to-say/i-love-you)
-   [
    
    Common Russian Phrases
    
    The phrases hub: greetings, courtesy, questions and more.
    
    ](/learn/russian-phrases)
-   [
    
    Russian Greetings
    
    Hello, times of day, goodbye and how are you - with audio.
    
    ](/learn/russian-greetings)

Source: https://dailycyrillic.com/learn/how-to-say/thank-you