Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| merci beaucoup | /mɛʁ.si bo.ku/ |
| merci mille fois | /mɛʁ.si mil fwa/ |
| merci infiniment | |
| merci bien | /mɛʁ.si bjɛ̃/ |
| mille mercis | /mil mɛʁ.si/ |
| grand merci |
These phrases are used to express a level of gratitude greater than a simple "thank you".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase merci mille fois literally translates to "thank you a thousand times".
Which one should you use?
While merci beaucoup is a standard way to express greater gratitude, merci mille fois uses an adverbial structure meaning "a thousand times". In contrast, mille mercis uses the plural form of the word to mean "a thousand thanks". Additionally, be aware that although merci bien can mean "thank you very much", it is often used sarcastically in spoken French to mean "thanks a lot" in a dismissive way.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
There are several ways to adjust the tone of your gratitude. For highly emphatic and formal situations, use merci infiniment or the full sentence Je vous remercie infiniment. If you wish to express sincere gratitude formally, you can say Je tiens à vous remercier sincèrement. For informal situations, you can use merci bien, mille mercis (meaning "a thousand thanks") or un grand merci to express a significant level of gratitude.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase mille mercis uses the plural form of merci to express multiple thanks.
How do you pronounce it?
merci beaucoup is pronounced /mɛʁ.si bo.ku/ and consists of 3 syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
When following merci beaucoup with a reason, English speakers often struggle with whether to use de or pour. While both are used, merci de is traditionally preferred for actions (verbs) and merci pour is preferred for things (nouns).
Did you know?
Examples in context
- Merci mille fois !Thank you very much!This sentence shows how to use merci mille fois to express high gratitude.Tatoeba #6780343 by Micsmithel, translation #1564 by adjusting
- Merci beaucoup pour tout.Thank you very much for everything.Tatoeba #1370613 by Danquebec, translation #65805 by CK
- Merci beaucoup de m'inviter.Thank you very much for inviting me.This sentence shows how to use merci beaucoup when thanking someone for an action.Tatoeba #914702 by sacredceltic, translation #264002 by CK
- Merci beaucoup pour votre aide.Thank you very much for your help.
- Je vous remercie infiniment de votre générosité.I thank you very much for your generosity.
- Je tiens à vous remercier sincèrement pour cette opportunité.I sincerely want to thank you for this opportunity.
- Merci bien pour le cadeau.Thank you very much for the gift.
- Mille mercis pour ton aide précieuse.A thousand thanks for your valuable help.
- Un grand merci pour ta gentillesse.A big thank you for your kindness.
- 41 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan helps Chloé carry her heavy bags.
- ChloéMerci beaucoup pour ton aide, Nathan.Thank you very much for your help, Nathan.
- NathanDe rien, Chloé, c'est normal.You're welcome, Chloé, it's normal.
- ChloéTu es vraiment très gentil.You are really very kind.
- NathanJe t'en prie.You're welcome.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “thank you very much” translations and entries merci beaucoup, merci mille fois, merci bien, mille mercis, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries beaucoup, bien, fois, infiniment, merci, merci mille fois, mille, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
