tout le plaisir est pour moi
/tu lə plɛ.zi.ʁ‿ɛ puʁ mwa/
In French, "it is my pleasure" is said as tout le plaisir est pour moi.
This phrase is used specifically as a response to someone thanking you for a service or a favor. It serves to accept thanks or to express happiness in helping someone.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "all the pleasure is for me".
Which one should you use?
While de rien is a common, casual way to say "you're welcome," tout le plaisir est pour moi is much more sophisticated and emphasizes the speaker's enjoyment in helping.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
tout le plaisir est pour moi is a formal and highly polite way to respond to thanks, often used in professional or elegant social settings. For a more casual setting, you might use the informal Avec plaisir! If you want to express a more formal sentiment, you can also say C'est avec grand plaisir que je le fais.
Did you know?
- In the phrase tout le plaisir est pour moi, the word est is a rare exception in modern French. It is one of the only two words where the internal 's' is spelled but remains silent, the other being Jésus-Christ.
- While tout le plaisir est pour moi is used for favors, French has different specialized phrases for 'you are welcome' depending on whether you are accepting a compliment or a thank you for a task.
Examples in context
- C'est avec grand plaisir que je le fais.It is with great pleasure that I do it.
- Avec plaisir!With pleasure!
- Tout le plaisir est pour moi.It is my pleasure.
Example conversation
Emma thanks Gabriel for carrying her heavy bags.
- EmmaMerci beaucoup de m'aider avec mes sacs, Gabriel.Thank you very much for helping me with my bags, Gabriel.
- GabrielTout le plaisir est pour moi, Emma.It is my pleasure, Emma.
- EmmaC'est vraiment très gentil de votre part.That is really very kind of you.
- GabrielJe suis heureux de pouvoir vous rendre service.I am happy to be able to do you a favor.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry tout le plaisir est pour moi, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries est, le, moi, plaisir, pour, tout, tout le plaisir est pour moi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
