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Maybe you already know that "merci" (mair-see) means "thank you" in French . But apart from thanking others, you should also know how to respond when someone says "merci" to you. In most informal situations, you can simply say "de rien" (duh ree-ehn). However, there are many other ways to say "you're welcome" in French , depending on where you're saying it and who you're saying it to.
Steps
Ways to Say “You’re Welcome”
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Say "je vous en prie" in polite or serious situations. The phrase "je vous en prie" (zheh vooz-ahng pree) uses "vous," the formal French "you," indicating it's a more formal way to say "you're welcome." This phrase is appropriate in more formal situations, or when you're thanked by an adult who you don't know. [1] X Research source
- Also use this phrase when you're speaking to an adult who is older than you or in a position of authority.
- If you're traveling to France and can only learn one way to say "you're welcome" in French, this is probably the best one to choose. Although you may be overly formal in some situations, you never run the risk of offending anyone for being too casual if you use this phrase.
Pronunciation Tip: Although you wouldn't normally pronounce the "s" at the end of "vous," you do if it comes immediately before a word that starts with a vowel. The two words flow together to form what the French call a liaison .
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Use "merci à vous" after mutual assistance. In some situations, both you and the other person mutually help each other out. If that happens and they thank you first, you might say "merci à vous" (mair-see ah voo) to thank them in return.
- For example, if you and a coworker or colleague you don't know very well have just finished working on a project together and they say "merci," you might respond "merci à vous."
- Since "vous" is used in this phrase as well, it's appropriate in situations where you don't know the person who's thanking you, they're much older than you, or they're in a position of authority over you.
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Try "c'est moi que vous remercie" if someone helps you. The phrase "c'est moi due vous remercie" (say mwah kuh voo reh-mair-see) means "it's me who thanks you." If a sales clerk in a shop assists you in selecting items to purchase and you thank them, you'll likely hear this in return. [2] X Research source
- Often, this phrase is shortened to simply "c'est moi." The rest of the phrase is understood by French speakers. The shortened form is typically used in more casual situations, such as if you're talking to someone you don't know but who is around the same age as you.
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Say "de rien" (duh ree-ehn) in most informal situations. "De rien" literally means "of nothing" and is one of the most common ways to say "you're welcome" in French. Typically, you would use this if someone thanked you for something that was relatively unimportant in the grand scheme of things.
- For example, if you held the door for a person behind you as you were entering a shop and they said "merci," you might say "de rien."
- This is considered an informal phrase and should never be used in formal situations.
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Switch to "il n'y a pas de quoi" as an alternative to "de rien." The phrase "il n'ya pas de quoi" (ihl ny-ah pah duh kwah) means "It was nothing," and can be used in the same situations as "de rien." [3] X Research source
- This phrase is also often shortened. You may hear "n'y a pas de quoi," "yah pas de quoi," or simply "pas de quoi."
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Go with "je t'en prie" (zheh tahng pree) in more polite situations. This phrase uses the informal "tu" form of the French second-person pronoun together with a more formal construction. If a friend thanks you in a more formal situation, or thanks you for something important or serious, this is a good phrase to use. [4] X Research source
- This phrase is informal but not casual. Use it when you feel like the situation is a bit too serious for "de rien" or a similar phrase.
Pronunciation Tip: The word "en" is an example of a nasal vowel. The "ng" in the pronunciation guide reminds you to say this word through your nose rather than through your mouth, similar to how you might say "song" in English.
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Use "merci à toi" if the other person helped you too. If you and a friend were both working on something together and they happen to thank you for your help first, you might counter with "merci à toi" (mair-see ah twah), or "thanks to you." This phrase is considered more informal because of the use of the informal second-person pronoun "toi."
- In the same situation, you could also say "c'est moi qui te remercie" (say mwah kee teh reh-mair-see) or simply "c'est moi."
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Try "pas de problème" when someone thanks you for doing something. The phrase "pas de problème" (pah duh prah-blehm) is used similar to "no problem" in English. If you help someone out in some way and they thank you for your effort, this is a good response to use. [5] X Research source
- This phrase is used similar to the way you might say "no worries" in English, and is considered slang by some French people, particularly those who are older. Only use it in the most informal of situations.
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Try "avec plaisir" (ah-vek play-zihr) in southern France. This phrase means "with pleasure" and is used commonly in southern France, particularly around Toulouse. Use it when you want to tell a friend that you were happy to do whatever they're thanking you for.
- This phrase isn't used in the same way in other regions of France. However, in the south, you'll often hear it used as an alternative to "de rien." Like "de rien," it's considered casual speech and should only be used with people you know well.
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Use "bienvenue" (bee-ahng-veh-noo) in Canada. The word "bienvenue" literally means "welcome" in French. However, it's typically used to welcome people into your home or elsewhere, not to mean "you're welcome." French Canadians are the only French speakers who use this word this way. [6] X Research source
- In Canada, this can be used in almost any context. However, you'd still want to go with a more formal French "je vous en prie" if you were speaking to someone significantly older than you or in a position of authority.
Tip: French Canadians may also use "ça me fait plaisir" (sah meh fay play-zihr), which means "my pleasure."
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Say "s'il vous plaît" (sihl voo play) in Belgium. This phrase literally means "please," but often is used in Belgium to mean "you're welcome." The use of the formal second-person pronoun should tell you that this is a formal phrase you can use to respond to thanks from anyone you don't know.
- If you're responding to thanks from a close friend, you might instead say "s'il te plaît." But, again, don't use this phrase outside of Belgium. You won't be understood.
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Go with "service" (sehr- vees) in Switzerland. The Swiss-French often use "service" in response to "merci." The word is intended to mean, essentially, "at your service." you would typically use this if you've done something for someone and they've thanked you. [7] X Research source
- Outside Switzerland, it's unlikely anyone would understand what you meant if you said this in response to "merci."
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Community Q&A
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QuestionHow do you write “Welcome back” in French?This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.wikiHow Staff EditorStaff AnswerYou could just say “Bon retour.” For a more formal welcome back, try “Je vous souhaite un bon retour.”
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QuestionHow do you respond to “Merci”?This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.wikiHow Staff EditorStaff Answer“De rien” (“It’s nothing”) is the most common answer. For an even less formal reply, say “Pas de problème” (“No problem”).
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QuestionHow do you respond to “Bonjour”?This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.wikiHow Staff EditorStaff AnswerSay “Bonjour” or “Salut.” You can also respond with “Ça va,” which means “How’s it going?”
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Warnings
- The pronunciation guides in this article are only approximations designed to allow a native English speaker to come close to the actual French pronunciations . For the best results, listen to these words and phrases spoken by a native French speaker and try to mimic them.Thanks
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References
- ↑ https://blog.collinsdictionary.com/language-learners/learning-french/learnng-french-common-courtesies/
- ↑ https://www.frenchplanations.com/youre-welcome-in-french/
- ↑ https://www.lawlessfrench.com/expressions/de-rien/
- ↑ https://blog.collinsdictionary.com/language-learners/learning-french/learnng-french-common-courtesies/
- ↑ https://www.lawlessfrench.com/expressions/de-rien/
- ↑ https://www.frenchplanations.com/youre-welcome-in-french/
- ↑ https://www.lawlessfrench.com/expressions/de-rien/
About This Article
Article Summary
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To say "You're welcome" in French, respond with "Je t'en prie" when someone says "Thank you." Alternatively, if someone thanks you for holding open a door for them or something similar, say "De rien," which means "No need for thanks." In an informal setting with friends or family, use "Il n'y a pas quoi" when someone thanks you. Finally, when you're thanked by a formal acquaintance or a stranger, answer with "Je vous en prie," which means "Don't mention it." To learn how to say "You're welcome" when giving presents, keep reading!
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