Hydrogen sulfide reacts with the N, N-dimethylformamide acetal 1 to give N, N-(dimethy1) thioformamide (2a). The thioamides 2s-e and the thiolactams 2f, g are prepared by thiolysis of the nitriles 3a-g. The action of hydrogen sulfide on nitriles 5a-f affords the 0-ethyl thiocarboxylates 6a-f. The preparation of the nitriles 3g and 5a-f is described.