merci pour
The English phrase "thanks for" is translated into French as merci pour.
The word merci means "Thank you". You can use merci pour tout as a common idiomatic way to say "thanks for everything" when expressing general gratitude for everything someone has done. If you wish to express a larger amount of thanks, you can say Un grand merci, which means "A big thank you".
Which one should you use?
While merci pour is used for concrete objects, merci de is often preferred in formal writing or when followed by a verb to express thanks for an action. For example, if you want to say "thanks for" followed by a verb, it is more natural to use merci de followed by the infinitive or the past infinitive.
How does it change in a sentence?
When merci pour is followed by a noun, the noun must be preceded by a determiner like le, la, les, mon or votre.
Did you know?
- In some historical contexts, saying merci was not just a thank you but a plea for mercy or a surrender. This usage survives in the phrase être à la merci de, meaning 'to be at the mercy of'.
- In formal French correspondence, you will often see merci de bien vouloir… used to politely request something, which functions more like 'please' than a literal 'thanks'.
- The root of merci comes from the Latin word mercēdem, meaning 'wages' or 'price'. This suggests that gratitude was once viewed as a form of payment or reward for a kindness.
Examples in context
- Merci pour ça !Thanks for that.Tatoeba #3951968 by nimfeo, translation #1898228 by CK
- Merci pour le thé.Thanks for the tea.Tatoeba #5847871 by Blabla, translation #5901330 by tvindy
- Merci pour le café.Thanks for the cup of coffee.Tatoeba #6479845 by Aiji, translation #2953308 by CK
- Merci pour votre aide précieuse lors de ce projet difficile.Thank you for your valuable help during this challenging project.
- Je vous suis reconnaissant de votre soutien continu.I am grateful to you for your ongoing support.
- Merci pour ton aide pour déménager mes affaires.Thanks for helping me move my belongings.
- Merci pour la belle soirée hier soir.Thanks for the lovely evening last night.
- Merci pour ton cadeau d'anniversaire.Thanks for your birthday gift.
- 95 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas is at a bakery and Manon has just handed him his order.
- LucasMerci pour le croissant.Thanks for the croissant.
- ManonDe rien, Lucas.You're welcome, Lucas.
- LucasC'est très bon.It is very good.
- ManonBonne journée !Have a nice day!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries merci, pour, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
