What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is made of merci, meaning thanks, pour, meaning for, vos, meaning your in the plural or formal sense and efforts.
Which one should you use?
merci de vos efforts is often considered more elegant or formal in written French. Merci pour votre travail acharné. means thank you for your hard work. merci pour votre effort with the singular refers to one specific effort rather than a period of work.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Because it uses vos, the phrase fits professional settings or addressing a group of people. With friends, Je te remercie pour tout ce que tu as fait. means I thank you for everything you've done. Merci du fond du cœur pour tout ton travail. means thanks from the bottom of my heart for all your work.
How does it change in a sentence?
With one person you know well, replace vos with tes and say merci pour tes efforts.
When do people say it?
In a work email you might extend it, as in Merci pour votre travail acharné. Votre contribution est inestimable pour notre équipe, meaning thank you for your hard work, your contribution is invaluable to our team.
Did you know?
- The word merci shares a root with the English word 'mercy'. Originally, the Latin root mercēdem referred to a 'price' or 'wage' paid to spare a captive's life.
- While English uses 'thanks' as a noun or a shortened phrase, the French merci began as a full expression grand merci. This was used as early as the 12th century in epic poems like Li coronemenz Looïs.
- In French, the word effort can sometimes imply a struggle or a physical strain more strongly than the English 'effort'. Using travail acharné is often preferred to avoid suggesting that the task was an exhausting ordeal.
Examples in context
- Merci pour vos efforts sur ce projet.Thanks for your efforts on this project.
- Merci pour vos efforts lors de l'examen.Thanks for your efforts during the exam.
Example conversation
A manager is thanking a colleague after a long meeting.
- LéaLucas, le rapport est excellent, merci pour vos efforts.Lucas, the report is excellent, thanks for your efforts.
- LucasJe vous en prie, Léa, c'était un plaisir.You're welcome, Léa, it was a pleasure.
- LéaCela nous a beaucoup aidés pour la présentation.It helped us a lot for the presentation.
- LucasJe suis ravi que le résultat vous plaise.I am glad that you like the result.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries merci, pour, vos, CC BY-SA 4.0.
