Thank you, please and sorry in Esperanto: polite phrases

"Thank you" in Esperanto is Dankon! (DAN-kon). "Please" is bonvolu (bon-VO-lu) before a verb or mi petas (mi PE-tas) after a request. "Sorry" is Pardonu! (par-DO-nu), or Mi bedaŭras (mi be-DAŬ-ras) for real regret. Pronunciation guides on this page show the stressed syllable in capitals; it is always the second-to-last (see the alphabet).

#Quick reference

#Saying thank you

Dankon is the accusative of danko "thanks"; PMEG treats it as a short form of Mi donas al vi dankon "I give you thanks". The same root gives danki "to thank", danka "grateful" and dankinda "worth thanking" (see word building).

• Multan dankon! – "many thanks".
• Koran dankon! (KO-ran DAN-kon) – "heartfelt thanks", from koro "heart".
• Dankegon! (dan-KE-gon) – "big thanks"; -eg- intensifies, and PMEG uses this very word as its example.
• Mi dankas vin. (mi DAN-kas vin) – "I thank you", a full sentence.

Give the reason with pro or por plus a noun: Dankon pro via helpo (DAN-kon pro VI-a HEL-po) "thanks for your help". PMEG calls both correct; Zamenhof's Fundamento uses por (Mi dankas vin por la prunto), while pro is now very common. For an action use ke: Dankon, ke vi venis "thanks for coming".

One trap: ReVo warns that a bare Dankon in answer to an offer is unclear. To Ĉu vi deziras kafon? ("Would you like coffee?") say Jes, dankon or Ne, dankon.

#Replying to thanks

Ne dankinde (ne dan-KIN-de) is the standard reply. It is literally "not worth thanking" (ne + dank- + -ind- "worthy" + -e) and is also written nedankinde. ReVo quotes Ne dankinde, estas mia plezuro – "You're welcome, it's my pleasure" – and the joke Ne dankinde, sed kisinde! – "not worth thanks, but worth kisses". Text messages shorten it to ND.

Volonte (vo-LON-te) means "gladly" and answers a request or offer, as in the Fundamento exercises: Tre volonte, mia bona – "Very gladly, my good woman". It is not the usual reply to Dankon.

#Saying please

Esperanto has no single "please"; it uses several constructions.

• Bonvolu + infinitive – from bonvoli "to be so kind as to" (bon- "good" + vol- "will"): Bonvolu sidiĝi – "Please sit down". PMEG warns against a second imperative (Bonvolu sidu), notes that Zamenhof wrote the plainer volu sidiĝi, and accepts Bonvole sidu as a logical alternative.
• …, mi petas – "I ask you", added after a request: Akvon, mi petas – "Water, please"; Sidiĝu, mi petas – "Sit down, please".
• Jen! – "here you are", said when handing something over; ReVo defines it as a word that draws attention, as in jen prenu seĝon "here, take a chair".

#Saying sorry

Pardonu! or Pardonu min! (par-DO-nu min) is literally "forgive (me)". ReVo defines it as a request to tolerate a nuisance without anger. Use it for bumping into someone, interrupting, or starting a question: Pardonu, ĉu la sidloko estas okupita? – "Excuse me, is this seat taken?" Pardonu min and Pardonu al mi are both correct; the Fundamento uses both.

Mi bedaŭras means "I regret it" and suits refusals and bad news: Mi bedaŭras, sed tio ne eblas – "I'm sorry, but that is not possible". Mi pardonpetas is a more formal "I apologise"; PMEG sees Mi sincere pardonpetas pro la malfruiĝo as close in meaning to Pardonu min pro la malfruiĝo!

Answer an apology with Ne gravas (ne GRA-vas) – "it doesn't matter" – or Ne zorgu "don't worry".

#Other polite phrases

• Sanon! (SA-non) – literally "health"; said after a sneeze or as a toast.
• Bonan apetiton! (BO-nan a-pe-TI-ton) – ReVo calls it a wish said before a meal.
• Ĝis! and Ĝis revido! – see greetings and goodbyes.

More everyday phrases are on basic Esperanto phrases; the first lesson of the course puts greetings in a dialogue, and the dictionary shows how each word is built.

#Are there formal and informal ways to say thank you in Esperanto?

No. Esperanto has no separate formal and informal "thank you": Dankon! works with everyone, and you set the tone with extra words such as multan, koran or Mi tre dankas vin pro…. Requests and apologies work the same way.

#A rough scale

This grouping is our own, not an official scale.

Ĉu vi povus…? "Could you…?" also makes a polite request, says PMEG.

#Vi, ci and titles

Esperanto has no formal "you": vi serves for one person or many, friend or stranger (see pronouns). A singular ci appears in the Fundamento word list, but PMEG says it was never really used and has no fixed nuance, so skip it.

Respect shows in titles instead: sinjoro "Mr, sir" (sin-JO-ro), sinjorino "Ms, madam" (sin-jo-RI-no) and gesinjoroj "Mr and Mrs, ladies and gentlemen". Never put la before a form of address: Estimata prezidanto… "Dear Chairman…" (PMEG's example). To a friend write Kara Maria "Dear Maria".

#Common questions

#How do you say thank you in Esperanto?

Dankon! (DAN-kon). For "thank you very much" say Multan dankon!; for "thanks for your help" say Dankon pro via helpo.

#How do you respond to dankon?

With Ne dankinde (ne dan-KIN-de), literally "not worth thanking". Nedankinde in one word is also correct.

#How do you say please in Esperanto?

Bonvolu before an infinitive (Bonvolu atendi – "Please wait") or mi petas after the request (Kafon, mi petas – "A coffee, please").

#How do you say sorry in Esperanto?

Pardonu! for "excuse me" or a small apology, Mi bedaŭras for real regret, Mi pardonpetas for a formal apology.

#Is there a formal "you" in Esperanto?

No. Vi is used for everyone. Politeness comes from words such as bonvolu, sinjoro and estimata.

#Sources

• PMEG: Mallongigitaj frazoj – Dankon! as a short form
• PMEG: Ĝentila peto – bonvolu, mi petas, volu
• PMEG: Pro and Por – thanking with pro or por, por
• PMEG: Dua persono – vi and ci
• PMEG: Alvoko – addressing someone (sinjoro, estimata)
• PMEG: Al – Pardonu al mi / Pardonu min
• PMEG: Fraztipoj kaj frazfunkcioj – Mi pardonpetas, Ĉu vi povus…?
• PMEG: Sufikso EG – dankegon
• Fundamento: Ekzercaro (Mi dankas vin por la prunto; Tre volonte; Pardonu al mi) and Universala Vortaro (ci, bedaŭr', volont', sinjor')
• ReVo: danki, pardoni, bedaŭri, volonte, jen, apetito, sinjoro
• Wiktionary: ne dankinde, bonvoli, sanon, ne gravas
• Omniglot: Useful Esperanto phrases (Dankon / Dankegon)