reconnaissant
/ʁə.kɔ.nɛ.sɑ̃/
The English word 'grateful' is translated into French as reconnaissant.
The term is used to describe a person or their actions, feelings, etc., when expressing gratitude or appreciation. When expressing that you are grateful to someone, use the construction être reconnaissant à quelqu'un, employing the preposition à.
Meaning: of a person or their actions, feelings, etc.: expressing gratitude or appreciation (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective reconnaissant changes based on gender and number: reconnaissante is the feminine singular form, reconnaissants is the masculine plural form and reconnaissantes is the feminine plural form.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ʁə.kɔ.nɛ.sɑ̃/. It has 4 syllables.
When do people say it?
A common way to say 'thank you very much' is Merci beaucoup.
Did you know?
- The word reconnaissant shares the same root as the verb reconnaître, meaning 'to recognize'. To be grateful in French is literally to recognize the value of a favor or a kind act.
- The noun form, la reconnaissance, can also mean 'recognition' as in a military reconnaissance mission.
- In historical French literature, being reconnaissant often implied a formal social debt that required a specific reciprocal gesture.
Examples in context
- Je leur suis reconnaissant.I am grateful to them.Tatoeba #826754 by U2FS, translation #330444 by sugisaki
- Nous sommes très reconnaissants.We're very grateful.Tatoeba #4801775 by sacredceltic, translation #2240699 by CK
- Je vous suis très reconnaissant.I'm very grateful to you.Tatoeba #12033272 by lbdx, translation #1662028 by fanty
- Je suis reconnaissant(e) pour votre aide.I am grateful for your help.
- Je vous suis reconnaissant(e) pour votre générosité.I am grateful to you for your generosity.
- Je tiens à vous remercier de m'avoir accordé cette opportunité.I wish to thank you for granting me this opportunity.
- Merci beaucoup pour ton aide.Thank you very much for your help.
- Je suis reconnaissant(e) envers toi de toujours être là pour moi.I am grateful to you for always being there for me.
- C'est vraiment gentil de ta part de m'avoir aidé.It's really kind of you to have helped me.
- 85 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas thanks Emma for helping him with a project.
- LucasMerci beaucoup pour ton aide, Emma.Thank you very much for your help, Emma.
- EmmaDe rien, c'était avec plaisir !You're welcome, it was my pleasure!
- LucasJe te suis vraiment reconnaissant.I am truly grateful to you.
- EmmaC'est gentil, Lucas, mais ce n'est rien.That's kind, Lucas, but it's nothing.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “grateful” translations and entries reconnaissant, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
