🙏😊

How to Say ‘I thank you.’ in German

Ich danke Ihnen.

ikh DAHN-keh EE-nen

[ikh DAHN-keh EE-nen]

💬 Usage Tip: danken takes Ihnen, not Sie: Ich danke Ihnen. The same goes for helfen: Ich helfe Ihnen "I'll help you".

🇩🇪 In Germany: This is warmer and more formal than a plain danke. It's a good way to close an interview as you shake hands.

Phrase Breakdown

Ich

[ikh]

The pronoun 'ich' in nominative form.

Example

Ich bin da.

I am here.

danke

[DAHN-keh]

thank

Form of the verb 'danken' (to thank) used with 'ich'; a more formal way to express gratitude than just 'Danke'.

Example

Ich danke Ihnen für das nette Gespräch auf der Messe.

I thank you for the nice conversation at the fair.

Ihnen

[EE-nen]

you (formal, dative)

The formal 'you' in the dative case, used in polite professional situations.

Example

Darf ich Ihnen eine Frage zur Kultur im Unternehmen stellen?

May I ask you a question about the culture in the company?

Guides for German learners

Duolingo vs Pimsleur: Tapping on a Screen or Talking Out Loud?Duolingo vs Pimsleur: five minutes of tapping versus thirty minutes of speaking. What each is good at, what each costs, and which to pick for your goal.

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