Which one should you use?
While Merci pour votre considération follows the English structure, you may find other forms more idiomatic. Merci de votre attention is a common way to thank an audience or a reader for their time in a professional context. If you want to be more formal in a letter or email, you can use Je vous remercie de l'attention que vous porterez à ma demande, which means I thank you for the attention you will give to my request. For a more enthusiastic expression, you can use Mille mercis, which means a thousand thanks.
How does it change in a sentence?
In casual speech, pour is frequently used after merci. However, in formal writing, the preposition de is often preferred when merci is followed by an abstract noun, such as in Merci de votre compréhension.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using Merci pour votre considération as a direct translation of the English phrase in formal contexts, as it can sound unnatural to French speakers. Instead, use more idiomatic professional expressions like Merci de votre attention or Je vous remercie de l'attention que vous porterez à ma demande.
Did you know?
- The word merci is a distant relative of the English word 'mercy', but it originally shared a root with the concept of 'wages' or a 'price'.
- While merci is used for thanks today, in historical French legal contexts it could also mean 'mercy' or 'pity', as in requesting a pardon from a conqueror.
- In the early 12th century, people did not just say merci but used the phrase grand merci to express deep gratitude.
Examples in context
- Je vous prie de considérer ma requête. Merci pour votre attention.I kindly ask you to consider my request. Thank you for your attention.
Example conversation
Gabriel is finishing a job interview with Chloé.
- GabrielMerci pour votre considération, Madame Chloé.Thank you for your consideration, Ms. Chloé.
- ChloéC'était un plaisir de vous rencontrer, Gabriel.It was a pleasure to meet you, Gabriel.
- GabrielJ'attends votre réponse avec impatience.I look forward to your response.
- ChloéNous vous contacterons d'ici la fin de la semaine.We will contact you by the end of the week.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries considération, merci, pour, votre, CC BY-SA 4.0.
