How do I say 'I'm grateful'?

Chinese gratitude has three tiers, and choosing the right one communicates the depth of your feeling:

• 谢谢 — the everyday thank-you. For held doors, passed salt, completed transactions. Universal, safe, lightweight.
• 感谢 — meaningful gratitude. For help that cost someone something. 很感谢 signals that you register the effort. This is the right word when someone went out of their way.
• 感恩 — profound, almost spiritual gratitude. For parents who raised you, mentors who changed your path, friends who were there through crisis. Using this word casually dilutes it.

感动 is a separate dimension: it means you were emotionally moved, not just grateful. Someone’s words, a gesture, or a story can 感动 you — it describes the emotional response rather than the debt.

A Chinese pattern worth adopting: gratitude with a specific reason is warmer than gratitude alone. 谢谢你帮我搬家 (thank you for helping me move) lands better than just 谢谢. The reason shows you registered the specific effort, not just performed the politeness ritual.