Spanish became a standard written language in the 13th century, and since then it has been spoken in many parts of the world.
Today more than 500 million people speak Spanish. Even if you don’t live in Spain, someone who knows Spanish can speak the simplest words to you.
So, how would you respond in English if someone says muchas gracias to you?
First, knowing what it means is the first step.
What Does Muchas Gracias Mean?
Muchas gracias is Spanish for, ‘thank you very much.’ It is a response of appreciation used widely by Spanish people.
Even those who are not Spaniards use the phrase as well. You can basically respond to muchas gracias the same way you’d respond if the person said thank you very much – which is English for muchas gracias.
16 Best Replies to Muchas Gracias in English?
If someone says muchas gracias to you, you can respond in any of the following ways:
You’re Welcome
This is a common response English speakers give when someone says thank you. Since muchas gracias means thank you very much, you can respond with, ‘you’re welcome’ and the speaker should understand.
This is also a formal response, in a formal setting. It is also a polite response you give strangers, acquaintances, and just about anyone you meet on the bus or train.
You can give this response with a smile. But if you are interested in saying, you’re welcome in Spanish, say, ‘de nada.’
Thank You
In English, you can say ‘thank you’ back to the speaker if you believe you have something to thank them for too. So when someone says ‘muchas gracias’ to you, say ‘thank you’ in English.
We live in a world where there’s not a shortage of reasons to be thankful to others. If for example, you tipped a restaurant waiter, she may say ‘muchas gracias’ to you.
Since she has served you, cleaned your table, taken your orders and delivered impeccable service, you may feel inclined to say ‘thank you’ back to her.
It would be heartwarming to see the waiter’s eyes light up with a beautiful smile as she acknowledges your appreciation.
No Problem
This is an apt response for when you want the speaker to know you are always ready to help or provide some other form of service.
‘No problem’ is a response close friends give each other. It can also be a polite response to strangers in a situation where you have been a help to someone who’s in severe need.
For example, you can feel generous about assisting a senior citizen across a busy street. Or helping a single mother with cash for her groceries in the departmental store.
If she’s Spanish and she says, ‘muchas gracias’, say, ‘no problem at all.’
Or you could say in Spanish: ningún problema.
It Was My Pleasure
This is another polite response to muchas gracias. You offer this response with a smile even when the speaker is a total stranger you met on the train or the subway.
Especially if the person is being effusive when they thank you in Spanish. This response makes someone who thinks they’re a bother, calm down.
With those words you let the person know they have not caused you any inconvenience. There are people who find it difficult to accept help, and also those who suffer from cherophobia – someone who has an irrational aversion to being happy.
Such a person may have a hard time accepting your help and effusively thanking you for the simplest assistance.
Although this phobia is yet to be well researched, such a person can be assured of your kindness when you say, it was my pleasure.
Quite frankly, we live in a world where kindness doesn’t come easily. And people would rather take pictures of you suffering than help.
If you want to further put the person at ease, you can learn to say it in Spanish: fue un placer.
Please, Think Nothing Of It
By now you have noticed that most responses when someone says muchas gracias to you are polite. And this one here is one of them.
Note that responses are usually based on the circumstances, the emotion of the speaker and that of the respondent.
There’s adequate research to prove that our emotions influence how we react or respond to both the negative and positive actions of others.
And no one can doubt the far-reaching effect of our words. An anxiety-driven person may say muchas gracias. A mild response like the one above will surely calm the frayed nerves.
This is especially so if the person makes a big deal out of the assistance. You can even say it in Spanish if the other person is a native of a Spanish-speaking country: no pienses en eso.
Don’t Mention It
This is one of the responses you can give to muchas gracias. But when saying this you have to be sure that the hearer at least will understand not to take the words in their literal meaning.
When you tell someone not to mention it, it is a polite way of saying, ‘oh it’s okay, what I did is nothing to me. Even if it’s something to you, the receiver.’
Don’t mention it is a popular response by English speakers to, thank you. Since muchas gracias means thank you, it is totally cool to say this as a response.
Not that your facial expression will help put these words in context for a Spaniard who isn’t familiar with the term. When you say, add a sunny smile to it and some hand gestures.
Sure Thing
This is our favorite response on this list. How great it would be if everyone said, sure thing, after blessing you with some assistance.
Friends say this more to each other. Strangers can say it too. But it is most common among English speakers who are familiar with each other.
This phrase dates back to the 1800s in America. Since then the phrase has been used in many different contexts and to mean different things.
Other languages have equivalents to this phrase. But not all languages use it this way in reply to muchas gracias. Sure thing can be used as an affirmative, and that is the most popular usage, even in English.
So when someone says, ‘muchas gracias’, you reply, ‘sure thing.’ This means you acknowledge the appreciation.
I Will Say Nothing
You can’t say you didn’t expect this option on this list. Yes, you don’t have to say anything in reply. You can just smile and keep it going like a good citizen.
They say the best heroes don’t wait around to be praised. Think of your favorite superheroes like Batman who never even sticks long enough for interviews.
He stumps the bad guys around and vanishes. The cops converge on the criminals, the only evidence that the superhero was around. Everyone is a hero.
We all do little things that matter to other people, even Spanish-speaking folks who tell us muchas gracias. A smile can make a whole lot more impact than words.
What Does That Mean?
You have the option to ask for clarification. If you don’t understand a word of Spanish, this is a legitimate response. When you help a stranger you met on the street for example, and the person says muchas gracias, you may wonder if you have just done something wrong.
You can make a gesture that shows you don’t understand the language. Hopefully, the person understands and speaks English.
As the second option on this list shows, you can even say muchas gracias back to the person and they’d be happy you learned some Spanish in the encounter.
Not At All
In English, we say, ‘not at all’, as a polite acknowledgment when someone thanks us for something we did.
When you say this, you don’t mean the person’s appreciation is not needed, you only mean, you weren’t inconvenienced.
A very empathetic person is quick to feel other people are overly giving of themselves. For this reason, they can overcompensate by being overly appreciative.
So you can say not at all with your hands extended and a grave expression. In some cultures outside the United States, people show appreciation with actions more than with words.
They may prostrate on the floor, others kneel, and still, others buy gifts. If you find yourself in this situation you can say, ‘not at all.’
It’s Alright
This is one of the seldom-used responses to ‘thank you,’ in the English language. Most people would say, you’re welcome.
When replying muchas gracias, you can say it’s alright if the person is a stranger who thinks they’re impugning on you or your time.
If you obviously just inconvenienced yourself in order to provide assistance, then it would be clear to the other person.
They might feel a stab of conscience and be demonstrative with their muchas gracias. You can calm the person with: it’s alright.
And you can calm them further by going all Spanish on them. Say: está bien.
I’m Happy To Be Of Assistance
This is one of the clearest responses to muchas gracias. It is clear where your mind stands on the issue: positively beautiful, and that you’d do it again.
You assist people whenever you can. It wasn’t a big deal for you. But as it often is the case, the people you help probably weren’t expecting it so they are more than grateful, brimming with thanks.
When is this reply appropriate? Well, it can be used in any situation and to just about anyone.
I Couldn’t Have Missed This For Anything…
Suppose the person saying muchas gracias had asked for a favor and you obliged. But in the process of obliging you enjoyed yourself to the point where you felt that you would have missed out on the fun if you hadn’t come out.
This can happen for example when you are invited to a Christmas party. The person has invited several people and prepared a banquet.
Imagine the person’s disappointment if no one came. But attending such a party also makes you happy.
So, rather than simply accepting, you can also reply with the above response. You let the person know you couldn’t have missed the occasion.
Of course
With this response, you show that you didn’t have problems doing what you did. This response is one of the most common ones in English that you can offer.
It is short, and straight to the point. However, if the other person isn’t an English speaker, he or she may think this is sarcasm or that you are being rude.
In some cultures where English is a second language, of course carries a sense of entitlement to the appreciation you offer.
For this reason, be sure the person who says muchas gracias to you also understands the nuances of this little response.
Anytime, (Mate)
This response is appropriate if the person who says muchas gracias is a buddy of yours, a classmate, a friend where you work, or someone with whom you’ve made acquaintances.
When someone says muchas gracias, you have the option of saying, anytime without adding, mate to it. It is an extra informal response.
So consider the circumstances before using it. You could say, anytime, in response to anyone. But when adding ‘mate’ let be to someone you are familiar with.
All In A Days Job
This response is recommended for when you get muchas gracias from a group of people.
ay for instance that you work at a restaurant and you’ve just served a group of tourists who say muchas gracias, you can say it was all in a day’s job. This means even though it was a difficult task, you enjoyed doing it.
Final Thoughts
There’s a plethora of ways to respond to muchas gracias in English that this list can’t cover. You can get creative with your answers.
As it is, you don’t have to know Spanish to respond to the greeting. You can choose an appropriate response from this list and it will fly.