At this time of year people are often giving and receiving presents from one another.  All of the religious and cultural holidays in the United States in December (including: Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa) have some component of gift giving.  That makes this time of year a great time to review different ways of saying “thank you” in English.

Here are some simple short expressions of thanks that stand on their own:

Thank you.  (basic)
Thanks.  (informal)
Thank you so much!  (emphatic*)
Thanks a lot!  (emphatic)

Here are the beginning of sentences that can be used to express thanks:

I appreciate…     (Example: I appreciate all you have given me.)
I am very grateful for…    (Example: I am very grateful for all of your help.)
Please accept my thanks for…   (Example: Please accept my thanks for all you have done for my family.)
I’d like to express my gratitude….  (Example: I’d like to express my gratitude for all the presents you sent me.)
I’d like to thank you for…   (Example: I’d like to thank you for all the food you brought to Christmas dinner.)
I really can’t thank you enough…  (Example: I really can’t thank you enough for all you have done.)

You can also thank a person before she or he has given you a present or done a favor for you, here is how:

Thank you in advance for….  (Example: Thank you in advance for picking the children up from school.)
Thanks for taking the time to….  (Example:  Thanks for taking the time to come over and help me with all the cooking.)

Lastly, here are some ways of saying thank you, without saying the words “thank you.”  These are some expression you can use to let a person know you are thankful for an action they have done that was helpful to you:

I owe you one.
You’re my hero!
That was a real life saver.
You are the best.
I couldn’t have done it without you.

*Showing or giving emphasis; expressing something forcibly and clearly