ENGLISH
REFERENCE

thank you

idiom
Meaning

A polite phrase you say to show you are grateful for something someone has done or given you.


Origin

disputed origin

From Middle English thanke yow; as with thank God, praise be to God, and praise the Lord, it was originally a present subjunctive form but is usually not parsed that way in current usage. It has also sometimes been parsed as a prodrop form of (present indicative) I thank you, a mechanism that may plausibly coexist with the other one (instances being variable).

Examples
SIMPLE

I want to say thank you for the gift.

CONTEXTUAL

She sent a short note to say thank you for the help with her project.

COMPLEX

He offered a sincere thank you to his colleagues for their support during the difficult transition.

Last updated April 22, 2026