merci pour le dîner
The phrase 'thank you for the dinner' in French is merci pour le dîner.
This phrase is used to express gratitude to someone who has provided or hosted an evening meal.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of merci (thanks), pour (for), le (the) and dîner (dinner).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, Canada, you can also say Merci pour le souper to say 'Thank you for the dinner'.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express thanks for multiple dinners, change the article and noun to the plural merci pour les dîners.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying merci de le dîner. While merci de is often used with verbs, when thanking someone for a specific noun like le dîner, merci pour is the standard construction.
Did you know?
- The word dîner actually shares a root with the word 'fast'. It originates from the Latin disieiūnāre, which literally means 'to break the fast'.
- In traditional French rural culture, the midday meal was often the main meal of the day and was called le dîner. This is why the word for 'dinner' can be confusing when compared to modern city schedules.
- While merci is the standard way to say 'thanks', in very formal settings or older literature, you might see the phrase grand merci, which was used as early as the 12th century.
Examples in context
- Merci pour ce délicieux repasThank you for this delicious meal.
- Je tiens à vous remercier pour ce merveilleux dînerI would like to thank you for this wonderful dinner.
- Je suis très reconnaissant(e) pour ce repas d'exceptionI am very grateful for this exceptional meal.
- Merci pour ce bon repasThanks for this delicious meal.
- Tu as préparé un dîner délicieux, merciYou made a delicious dinner, thank you.
- Un grand merci pour ce succulent repasA big thank you for this delicious meal.
- Merci pour le dîner, c'était délicieux !Thank you for the dinner, it was delicious!
- Merci pour le dîner, c'était délicieux.Thank you for the dinner, it was delicious.
- Merci pour le dîner de ce soir.Thank you for tonight's dinner.
Example conversation
Léa is leaving Hugo's house after a meal.
- LéaMerci pour le dîner, Hugo.Thank you for the dinner, Hugo.
- HugoDe rien, Léa, j'ai aimé cuisiner.You're welcome, Léa, I enjoyed cooking.
- LéaTout était parfait, vraiment.Everything was perfect, really.
- HugoÀ bientôt alors, bonne soirée !See you soon then, have a good evening!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dîner, le, merci, pour, CC BY-SA 4.0.
