thank you
A polite phrase you say to show you are grateful for something someone has done or given you.
“I want to say thank you for the gift.”
“I always say thank you when someone opens the door for me.”
“She sent a short note to say thank you for the help with her project.”
“The waiter smiled when the customer said thank you after receiving the correct change.”
“You should write a quick email to say thank you for the advice they gave you yesterday.”
“The neighbors brought over a plate of cookies to say thank you for watching their dog while they were away on vacation.”
“He offered a sincere thank you to his colleagues for their support during the difficult transition.”
From Middle English *thanke yow*. As with the phrases *thank God*, *praise be to God*, and *praise the Lord*, the expression was originally a present subjunctive form. Modern usage typically neglects this grammatical distinction.
The phrase is also occasionally parsed as a pro-drop form of the present indicative *I thank you*. It is plausible that both mechanisms have coexisted across different instances of the term’s history.
Last updated April 22, 2026