"to thank" in seven languages
Meaningto thank
Spanish
/aɡɾadeˈθeɾ/
inherited
Takes the thing as object: agradecer la ayuda.
French
/ʁəmɛʁsje/
other source · merci 'mercy; thanks', from Latin MERCĒDEM 'wages'
Italian
/ringratˈtsjare/
inherited
Built on grazia, as in grazie.
Portuguese
/aɡɾadeˈseh/
inherited
Romanian
/multsuˈmi/
other source · a Romanian formation, apparently on mult 'much' (Latin MULTUM)
Mulțumesc is 'thank you'.
Catalan
/əɡɾəˈi/
inherited
English
/θæŋk/
native English · Old English þancian
The Latin ancestor
GRĀTUM‘pleasing; grateful’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
Spanish, Portuguese and Catalan thank by making someone 'pleased' (agradecer, agrair, from GRĀTUM, like gracias); Italian builds on grazia. French remercier rests on merci, whose ancestor MERCĒDEM meant 'wages': thanks as payment. Romanian mulțumi is built on mult 'much'.
English relatives: grateful, gratitude, gratis
Sound laws at work
Learn it
In a sentence
- esQuiero agradecerte tu ayuda.
- frJe veux te remercier pour ton aide.
- itVoglio ringraziarti per il tuo aiuto.
- ptQuero agradecer pela sua ajuda.
- roVreau să-ți mulțumesc pentru ajutor.
- caEt vull agrair l'ajuda.
- enI want to thank you for your help.