Thank you

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thank you is a common phrase used to show that a person is thankful of someone. It is a very old phrase, coming from as early as the 1400s. "Thank you" is often replied with "you're welcome".

People often say "please" to request something to you. If they are satisfied, they will say "thank you" back to you. Common responses for "thank you" include "you're welcome", "don't mention it",[1] or, more recently, "no problem".[2]

The phrase "thank you" can be modified to have a different meaning.[3] For example, "no, thank you" or "no thanks" are often used to politely say no to an offer.[4] Sometimes, the phrase "thank you" is modified to show that a person is not thankful of someone, such as the phrase "thanks for nothing".[4]

References[change | change source]

  1. Geoffrey Leech, The Pragmatics of Politeness (2014), p. 200.
  2. Bologna, Caroline (March 1, 2018). "Why Don't We Say 'You're Welcome' Anymore?". HuffPost.
  3. Grenville Kleiser, Training for Power and Leadership (1923), p. 260.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Martin H. Manser, Dictionary of Idioms (2006), p. 149.