sensei ni orei o iimashita.

direct object particle

Breakdown of sensei ni orei o iimashita.

• 先せん生せい: teacher
• に: indirect object particle
• 言いう: to say

Questions & Answers about sensei ni orei o iimashita.

What does に mean in 先生に?

Here, に marks the person the action is directed toward.

In this sentence, the action is 言いました (said / expressed), and 先生に means to the teacher.

So:

• 先生に = to the teacher
• お礼を言いました = expressed thanks / said धन्यवाद? no, in Japanese, gave thanks

With verbs of speaking, に often marks the person you speak to:

• 先生に話しました = I spoke to the teacher.
• 友だちに言いました = I said it to my friend.

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Why is を used with お礼?