De nada
/de nada/from spelling rules
In Spanish, the phrase 'you're welcome' is expressed as De nada.
De nada is the most common and versatile way to say 'you're welcome' in almost any social situation. If you want to be more formal, you can use Es un placer to mean 'it's a pleasure.' In informal settings, you might say Para eso estamos, which means 'that's what we're here for' or 'that's what friends are for.'
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, De nada translates to 'of nothing' or 'it is nothing.'
Which one should you use?
While De nada is the standard response, No hay de qué is a slightly more formal alternative that means 'there is nothing to [thank].'
How do you pronounce it?
/de nada/
Did you know?
- The word nada has a distant linguistic relative in the English word 'nativity', as both trace back to the same Proto-Indo-European roots concerning birth.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, a polite way to acknowledge a thank you is to simply smile and nod without saying De nada at all.
- In certain regions, responding to a thank you with No te preocupes 'don't worry' is more common than using De nada.
Examples in context
- "Gracias por la ayuda." "De nada.""Thank you for your help." "You're welcome."This example shows a response using De nada to 'thank you for your help.'Tatoeba #1958773 by marcelostockle, translation #12258348 by Miktsoanit
- "Gracias." "De nada.""Thank you." "You're welcome."This example shows a simple response using De nada to 'thank you.'Tatoeba #2965 by Shishir, translation #2077 by Swift
- ''¡Gracias!'' – ''¡De nada!''"Thank you!" "You're welcome."Tatoeba #5169908 by GinaAxella, translation #5170317 by tabular
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía is thanking Mateo for holding the door open.
- LucíaMuchas gracias por abrir la puerta.Thank you very much for opening the door.
- MateoDe nada.You're welcome.
- LucíaEres muy amable, Mateo.You are very kind, Mateo.
- MateoNo hay de qué.Don't mention it.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, nada, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
