Thankful to vs Thankful for
Do you say I am thankful for you or I am thankful to you?
If you want to know what preposition goes after ‘thankful’, ‘to’, ‘for’ or ‘of’, here is the answer.
Which is correct: thankful for you or thankful to you?
Answer: both are correct, but we use them in different ways. Here is how:
‘Thankful for you’ refers to the object of your gratitude, and means that you are happy this person is in your life.
You can use ‘thankful to you’ when you want to thank someone for something.
The difference between ‘thankful for’ and ‘thankful to’
Examples
He’s thankful for his family. (that he has his family in his life)
He’s thankful to his family. (for the help he received from his family)
More examples
Brian is very thankful to his wife.
I am very thankful to him.
She is thankful to you for your support.
We were very thankful for the opportunity to participate in the meeting.
I’m thankful for a good night’s sleep after the long journey.
Is it correct to say ‘thankful of’?
Answer: No, the word ‘thankful’ doesn’t collocate with ‘of’, we just don’t use them together.
Note:
The word ‘grateful’ is more common and although the above examples are grammatically correct, it would be more natural to say:
- We are grateful to you for helping us.
- I am grateful for your help.
- He is grateful for his family.