merci pour ça
In French, 'thank you for that' is expressed as merci pour ça.
This phrase is used to express gratitude for a specific thing or action.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase merci pour ça is composed of merci (thanks), pour (for) and ça (that).
Which one should you use?
While merci pour ça is common, you might use merci de cela as a more formal alternative when referring to a specific action or abstract concept. Additionally, merci beaucoup means 'thank you very much'.
How does it change in a sentence?
In written or more elegant spoken French, cela is often used instead of the colloquial ça.
Did you know?
- The word ça is actually a 'calque' or a linguistic copy of the German word Es. It was created to mirror how German uses a neutral pronoun to refer to an idea.
- In some contexts, merci pour ça can be used sarcastically to mean 'thanks for nothing' or to complain about a mistake someone else made.
- The word ça is built by combining ce ('this') and là ('there'). This combination allows the speaker to point specifically to 'that' thing being discussed.
Examples in context
- Merci pour cela, madame. J'apprécie votre aide.Thank you for that, madam. I appreciate your help.
- Je vous remercie pour cela. Votre soutien a été précieux.I thank you for that. Your support has been invaluable.
- Je tiens à vous remercier pour cela. Vous avez fait preuve d'une grande générosité.I want to thank you for that. You have shown great generosity.
- Merci pour ça, mon pote. T'es vraiment sympa !Thanks for that, mate. You're really nice!
- Je t'ai déjà remercié pour ça, mais je le redis encore une fois. Tu m'as sauvé la vie !I've already thanked you for that, but I'll say it again. You saved my life!
- Merci pour ça.Thank you for that.
- Ah, merci pour ça, c'est gentil.Ah, thank you for that, it's kind.
Example conversation
Léa has just given Lucas a useful piece of advice.
- LucasTu as raison, merci pour ça.You are right, thank you for that.
- LéaDe rien, Lucas.You're welcome, Lucas.
- LucasÇa va vraiment m'aider.That will really help me.
- LéaJe suis contente de pouvoir t'aider.I am happy to be able to help you.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries merci, pour, ça, CC BY-SA 4.0.
