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Questions & Answers about Moltes gràcies.
Why is it moltes and not molts?
Because moltes has to agree with gràcies.
In Catalan, adjectives and quantifiers agree in gender and number with the noun they modify:
- molt = masculine singular
- molta = feminine singular
- molts = masculine plural
- moltes = feminine plural
Since gràcies is treated as a feminine plural noun, the correct form is moltes gràcies.
Why is gràcies plural?
Because the expression is historically built on the noun gràcia, and in Catalan the thanking formula became fixed in the plural: gràcies.
So even though in English we just say thanks or thank you, in Catalan the normal expression is plural:
- gràcies = thanks
- moltes gràcies = many thanks / thank you very much
This is just how the expression works; learners should treat gràcies as a fixed polite formula.
Is Moltes gràcies formal or informal?
It works in both formal and informal situations.
You can say Moltes gràcies:
- to a friend
- to a shop assistant
- in an email