The words 感谢 gǎn xiè and 感恩 gǎn ēn are both used to express appreciation and gratitude in Chinese.
In this video we take a look at some of the key differences between them and learn how to use them correctly!
The key differences between the commonly used Chinese words "感谢 gǎn xiè" and "感恩 gǎn ēn"(A summary of the video above)
"感谢 gǎn xiè" is like a stronger form of “谢谢 xiè xie” (thank you). It's mainly used to thank someone for a specific action that you appreciate.
Examples：
gǎn xiè nǐ sòng gěi wǒ zhè me hǎo de lǐ wù！
感谢你送给我这么好的礼物！
Thank you for giving me such a great gift!
gǎn xiè nǐ duì wǒ zhēn chéng de zàn měi！
感谢你对我真诚的赞美！
Thank you for your sincere compliment!
gǎn xiè nǐ bāng wǒ bān zhè me zhòng de shā fā！
感谢你帮我搬这么重的沙发！
Thank you for helping me move such a heavy sofa!
"感恩 gǎn ēn"goes beyond just being thankful for a specific action.
It’s about your state of mind. You are deeply grateful and feel that you owe (and want to repay) a debt for their kindness.
Examples：
wǒ de fù mǔ yī zhí yǐ dōu quán lì zhī chí wǒ， wǒ hěn gǎn ēn tā men duì wǒ de ài hé zhī chí.
我的父母一直以都全力支持我，我很感恩他们对我的爱和支持。
My parents have always supported me fully and I am grateful for their love and support.
wǒ de dǎo shī duō nián nài xīn de qīng tīng wǒ de xiǎng fǎ， tā gěi wǒ tí gōng le hěn duō bǎo guì de jiàn yì， wǒ fēi cháng gǎn ēn tā duì wǒ de zhǐ yǐn hé guān huái.
我的导师多年耐心地倾听我的想法，他给我提供了很多宝贵的建议，我非常感恩他对我的指引和关怀。
My mentor patiently listened to my ideas for many years. He gave me a lot of valuable advice, and I am very grateful for his guidance and care.
Note: "感恩 gǎn ēn" is well-suited for describing gratitude for “bigger” and more “long-lasting” things like LOVE, CARE, SUPPORT & GUIDANCE.
Express Appreciation and Gratitude in Chinese Correctly with “感谢gǎn xiè" and "感恩gǎn ēn" together.
Thanks for what you did! This is how it makes me feel 🙂
Examples：
gǎn xiè nǐ duì wǒ suǒ zuò de yī qiè. wǒ hěn gǎn ēn.
感谢你对我所做的一切。我很感恩。
Thank you for everything you have done for me. I am grateful.
gǎn xiè nǐ wèi wǒ zhǔn bèi de shēng rì jīng xǐ pài duì. wǒ hěn gǎn ēn yǒu nǐ zhè yàng de péng you.
感谢你为我准备的生日惊喜派对。我很感恩有你这样的朋友。
Thank you for the birthday surprise party you prepared for me. I am grateful to have a friend like you.
fēi cháng gǎn xiè nǐ jīn tiān bāng wǒ bān jiā hé zhào gù wǒ de xiǎo gǒu. wǒ fēi cháng gǎn ēn nǐ duì wǒ de bāng zhù.
非常感谢你今天帮我搬家和照顾我的小狗。我非常感恩你对我的帮助。
Thank you so much for helping me move and take care of my dog today. I am very grateful for your help.