Merci et de rien
The English phrase "thank you and your welcome" is translated into French as Merci et de rien.
This set of phrases is used to express gratitude and to respond to that gratitude. Merci is the most common way to say thank you in French. To add warmth and friendliness to your gratitude, you can use Merci bien. If you wish to say "thank you very much", use Merci beaucoup. On the responding side, De rien is the most common and versatile way to say "you're welcome". Other ways to respond include Il n'y a pas de quoi, which translates to "there's no need to thank me" and C'est normal, which translates to "it's normal" and is used to convey a nonchalant response.
Which one should you use?
For expressing gratitude, Je vous remercie is a formal alternative. For responding to gratitude, Je vous en prie is a more formal phrase.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some regions, people might use Merci bien as a default instead of Merci.
Did you know?
- The word merci has a surprising connection to money. It stems from the Latin word mercēdem, which means 'wages', 'fee', or 'price'.
- While de rien is common, using je vous en prie is a way to show high respect. It literally tells the other person 'I pray you' to accept the gesture.
- When you say de rien to mean 'you are welcome', you are literally saying 'of nothing'. This is used to suggest that the favor you did was so small it amounts to nothing at all.
Example conversation
Lucas hands Emma a book she borrowed.
- EmmaMerci pour le livre, Lucas !Thank you for the book, Lucas!
- LucasDe rien, Emma !You're welcome, Emma!
- EmmaC'est gentil, merci et de rien pour tout.That's kind, thank you and you're welcome for everything.
- LucasJe t'en prie !You're very welcome!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, et, merci, rien, CC BY-SA 4.0.
