Phrases that matter
How to Say “Thank You” in Hindi
There are two main words — धन्यवाद and शुक्रिया — and knowing when to reach for each (and when your family would find a “thank you” oddly formal) matters more than the words themselves.
Inside a close family, a formal “thank you” can create the distance it means to close.
The two words: धन्यवाद and शुक्रिया
The textbook “thank you” is धन्यवाद (dhanyavād) — a slightly formal, dignified word you’d use in writing, in speeches, and with people you want to show full respect to. Nothing about it changes for the speaker’s gender; it’s the same for everyone.
The everyday “thanks” is शुक्रिया (shukriyā) — lighter, warmer, the one that slips out in a shop or to a friend. Both are completely standard and understood everywhere Hindi is spoken. If धन्यवाद is “thank you,” शुक्रिया is closer to “thanks.”
Turning it up: “thank you very much”
To add weight, put बहुत (bahut, “very / much”) in front: बहुत धन्यवाद (bahut dhanyavād) or बहुत शुक्रिया (bahut shukriyā) — “thank you very much.” For the fullest, most respectful form, Hindi doubles the बहुत: आपका बहुत बहुत धन्यवाद (āpkā bahut bahut dhanyavād) — “thank you so very much to you,” the line you’d use for a real kindness or in a formal note.
Notice आपका (āpkā, “your,” polite) at the front — that’s the respectful register. To a friend you’d drop it, or use तुम्हारा; to anyone you address with आप, keep it.
What your family actually says
Here’s the twist newcomers don’t expect: inside a close family, saying धन्यवाद or शुक्रिया for everyday things can sound too formal — even a little cold. Thanking your mother for dinner or your sibling for a small favour can feel like you’re treating them as an outsider, putting polite distance where there shouldn’t be any. The love is assumed; naming it as a transaction breaks the spell.
So among close family, gratitude is usually shown, not stated — you eat heartily, you help back, you say अरे, क्यों तकलीफ़ की (oh, why did you go to the trouble). Save the spoken thank-you for people outside that inner circle, for genuinely big gestures, and for elders you want to show marked respect — where a warm बहुत धन्यवाद lands exactly right.
Replying, and the casual options
When someone thanks you, the standard reply is कोई बात नहीं (koī bāt nahīṁ) — “it’s nothing / no worries” — or the more formal आपका स्वागत है (āpkā svāgat hai), “you’re welcome.” Among friends, a simple कोई बात नहीं does it.
And in everyday urban speech, plenty of people just say थैंक यू — English “thank you,” borrowed whole — especially the younger generation. It’s not wrong; it’s simply the casual reality. But धन्यवाद and शुक्रिया are what give the thanks its Hindi warmth, and they’re the ones worth having ready.
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Learn to read & write it — free →Questions people ask
How do you say thank you in Hindi?
The two main words are धन्यवाद (dhanyavād), a slightly formal “thank you,” and शुक्रिया (shukriyā), a lighter everyday “thanks.” Both are standard and understood everywhere. Neither changes for the speaker’s gender. For emphasis, add बहुत (“very”): बहुत धन्यवाद, बहुत शुक्रिया.
What’s the difference between dhanyavad and shukriya?
They mean the same thing; the difference is register. धन्यवाद (dhanyavād) is more formal and dignified — right for writing, speeches, and marked respect. शुक्रिया (shukriyā) is warmer and more casual, the everyday “thanks” you’d say in a shop or to a friend. Both are common across Hindi-speaking communities.
How do you say “thank you very much” in Hindi?
Add बहुत (bahut, “very”): बहुत धन्यवाद or बहुत शुक्रिया. The fullest, most respectful form doubles it — आपका बहुत बहुत धन्यवाद (āpkā bahut bahut dhanyavād), “thank you so very much,” with आपका marking the polite आप register.
Why does my family not say thank you in Hindi?
Because inside a close family, a spoken धन्यवाद or शुक्रिया for everyday things can feel too formal — almost like treating family as an outsider. Gratitude there is shown through action and warmth rather than stated. The spoken thank-you is saved for people outside the inner circle, big gestures, and elders you want to show particular respect.
How do you reply to “thank you” in Hindi?
The everyday reply is कोई बात नहीं (koī bāt nahīṁ) — “it’s nothing / no worries.” A more formal “you’re welcome” is आपका स्वागत है (āpkā svāgat hai). Among friends, कोई बात नहीं is all you need.