Which one should you use?
While merci d'être venu is a common and polite way to express thanks, you may encounter merci de votre venue in more formal, professional or written contexts. This alternative uses a noun-based structure meaning 'thank you for your arrival'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In France, the phrase merci d'être passé(e) is used more commonly to mean 'thanks for stopping by'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The past participle venu must agree with the gender and number of the person or people you are addressing. Use merci d'être venu when addressing a male guest and merci d'être venue when addressing a female guest. If you are speaking to a group of people, use merci d'être venus for a group of men or a mixed group and merci d'être venues if the group consists only of women.
Did you know?
- The word merci shares its roots with the word 'merchandise'. Both stem from the Latin 'mercēdem', meaning a price or a fee paid for something.
- In professional French correspondence, the noun-based phrase merci de votre venue is used to create a polite distance. This transforms the guest from a person who 'came' into a formal 'arrival' to be acknowledged.
- In many French-speaking cultures, saying merci alone as a guest departs can feel abrupt. Adding merci d'être passé or merci d'être venu provides the necessary warmth to properly close the interaction.
Examples in context
- Merci d'être venu tôt.Thank you for coming early.This sentence shows how to use merci d'être venu to thank someone for arriving early.Tatoeba #7811035 by Aiji, translation #1716517 by Amastan
- Merci d'être venu, Tom.Thank you for coming, Tom.This sentence shows how to use merci d'être venu when addressing someone by name.Tatoeba #7411459 by lbdx, translation #2644510 by CK
- Merci d'être venu ce soir.Thank you for coming tonight.This sentence shows how to use merci d'être venu to thank someone for attending an event tonight.Tatoeba #8397 by U2FS, translation #3096377 by CK
- Encore une fois, merci d'être venu(e). C'est vraiment apprécié !Thanks again for coming. It is truly appreciated!
- Nous espérons te revoir bientôt. Merci pour ta présence !We hope to see you again soon. Thank you for your presence!
- 16 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel visits Emma at her new apartment.
- EmmaBonjour Gabriel, entre !Hello Gabriel, come in!
- GabrielMerci de m'inviter, Emma.Thank you for inviting me, Emma.
- EmmaMerci d'être venu me voir.Thank you for coming to see me.
- GabrielC'est avec plaisir !It is my pleasure!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries merci, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
