In celebration of Thanksgiving, we’ve chosen ringraziamento (masculine, plural: ringraziamenti) as today’s Italian word of the day. Formed of the verb ringraziare (to thank) and the suffix -mento, it translates as thanks / thank-you, thanksgiving or gratitude.
Below are some useful verbs you’ll often see paired with ringraziamento:
- fare i (propri) ringraziamenti = to thank, to give (one’s) thanks
- porgere i (propri) ringraziamenti = to offer (one’s) thanks
- mandare i (propri) ringraziamenti = to send (one’s) thanks
- scrivere i ringraziamenti = to write a thank-you (letter)
- ricevere dei ringraziamenti da qualcuno = to receive a thank-you from someone
Gli ho scritto due righe di ringraziamento per tutto il lavoro che ha fatto.
I wrote him a couple of lines of thanks for all the work he’s done.
In response to a kind gesture, it is common practice to send a thank-you letter (una lettera di ringraziamento) or a thank-you card (biglietto di ringraziamento), at the end of which you may see one of the following greetings provided the correspondence is formal:
- cordiali ringraziamenti = cordial thanks
- sentiti ringraziamenti = heartfelt thanks
- sinceri ringraziamenti = sincere thanks
Ringraziamento can also be used in an ironic sense to express displeasure or indignation, as in the exclamation Bel ringraziamento! (Thanks for nothing!)
Thanksgiving Day (known as Giorno del Ringraziamento in Italian) is a national holiday that began as a day of giving thanks (fare i ringraziamenti) and sacrifice for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year. Although it is celebrated in a number of countries across the world including the United States, Canada and Brazil, it is not a recognised holiday in Italy.
In Catholic theology, ringraziamento is the act of showing God gratitude for His kindness.
How to Say “Happy Thanksgiving” in Italian
- Buona Festa del Ringraziamento = lit: Happy Feast of Thanksgiving
- Felice Giorno del Ringraziamento = lit: Happy Day of Thanksgiving
- Buon Ringraziamento = lit: Good Thanksgiving
Heather Broster is a graduate with honours in linguistics from the University of Western Ontario. She is an aspiring polyglot, proficient in English and Italian, as well as Japanese, Welsh, and French to varying degrees of fluency. Originally from Toronto, Heather has resided in various countries, notably Italy for a period of six years. Her primary focus lies in the fields of language acquisition, education, and bilingual instruction.
