متشکر

What it means

متشکر (motashakker) means “thankful” or “thanks.” It is the most common way to say “thank you” in casual Persian conversation, and shows up in expressions like متشکرم (motashakker-am) “I am thankful.”

Where it comes from

The word is an Arabic loanword, formed from the root ش-ک-ر (sh-k-r), meaning “thanks” or “gratitude.” متشکر is the active participle form, literally “the one who thanks.” From the same root come تشکر (tashakkor) “thanking, gratitude,” شکر (shokr) “thanks, gratitude,” and شاکر (shâker) “grateful.” This root spread across Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Urdu, and many other languages of the region.

Pure Persian alternative

Some speakers use the Pure Persian alternative سپاس (sepâs) instead of متشکر. سپاس is widely used in formal Persian, journalism, and literature. The Pure Persian Movement (Farhangestan-e Zaban-e Farsi) endorses سپاس as the native Persian form. In daily casual speech, متشکر still dominates; in formal writing and ceremonies, سپاس is more common.

Both are correct. Both are real Persian. The choice depends on register and personal preference.

How to use it

• متشکرم (motashakker-am) “I am thankful, thanks” (most common form)
• خیلی متشکرم (kheyli motashakker-am) “Thanks very much”
• متشکر از کمک شما (motashakker az komak-e shomâ) “Thanks for your help”

Common pairings

• متشکرم (motashakker-am) “I am thankful”
• تشکر کردن (tashakkor kardan) “to thank”
• تشکر می‌کنم (tashakkor mikonam) “I thank you”
• کمال تشکر (kamâl-e tashakkor) “utmost thanks” (formal)

Register

Colloquial to neutral. Used in everyday speech across all age groups. In formal writing, سپاس may sound more polished; in casual conversation, متشکر is the default.

Pair

This Pure Persian alternative pairs with سپاس (sepâs). سپاس is recovered Pure Persian from Middle Persian spās; متشکر is the dominant Arabic-origin word in everyday speech.

References

• Dehkhoda
• Vajehyab
• Wiktionary