Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| de rien | /də ʁjɛ̃/ | |
| il n'y a pas de quoi | /il n‿i.j‿a pa də kwa/ /il n‿i.j‿a pɑ də kwa/ |
|
| pas de quoi | /pa də kwa/ /pɑ də kwa/ |
|
| je vous en prie | /ʒə vu.z‿ɑ̃ pʁi/ | formal |
| je t'en prie | /ʒə t‿ɑ̃ pʁi/ | informal |
| à ton service | informal | |
| s'il vous plaît | /s‿il vu plɛ/ /s‿ju plɛ/ |
Belgium |
| bienvenue | /bjɛ̃.v(ə).ny/ | Louisiana, New England, Quebec |
In French, there are several ways to respond when someone thanks you. While de rien is a common and standard response, you might also hear avec plaisir (meaning "with pleasure") or the informal pas de souci (meaning "no worries" or "no problem").
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase de rien literally translates to "of nothing". The phrase il n'y a pas de quoi literally means "there is no reason" or "there is nothing to [thank me] for".
Which one should you use?
De rien is a very common, everyday way to say "you're welcome". For a more formal setting, use je vous en prie. If you are speaking with friends or family, the informal version je t'en prie is appropriate. You may also see the shortened pas de quoi or the full version il n'y a pas de quoi.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
De rien is much more casual than the formal je vous en prie. To be polite in a professional or respectful setting, use je vous en prie, whereas je t'en prie and à ton service are informal options.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Belgium, s'il vous plaît is sometimes used as a response to merci to mean "you're welcome". In Quebec, Canada, bienvenue is used colloquially as a response to thank you. In France, some areas may use il n'y a pas de quoi more frequently than other regions.
How do you pronounce it?
/də ʁjɛ̃/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use bienvenue to mean "you're welcome" in standard France French. In that context, bienvenue actually means "welcome to a place".
When do people say it?
In Quebec, the use of bienvenue! as a response to "thank you" follows an English-style usage of "welcome".
Did you know?
- The formal response je vous en prie uses the verb 'prier', which means 'to pray' or 'to beg'.
- In Belgium, you might hear s'il vous plaît used as a response to 'thank you', which would normally mean 'please' in other French-speaking regions.
- The phrase il n'y a pas de quoi is part of a linguistic pattern shared by Romance languages, appearing as 'no hay de qué' in Spanish and 'non c'è di che' in Italian.
Examples in context
- Je vous en prie.You're welcome.This example shows a formal way to say "you're welcome".Tatoeba #477559 by sacredceltic, translation #403068 by Ramses
- « Merci ! » « De rien ! »"Thank you!" "You're welcome!"This example shows a common exchange of "thank you" and "you're welcome" using de rien.Tatoeba #1142713 by sacredceltic, translation #11136841 by carlosalberto
- « Merci. » « Pas de quoi. »"Thanks." "You're welcome."This example shows a shorter, casual way to say "you're welcome" using pas de quoi.Tatoeba #3470334 by Lulantis, translation #1050524 by Eldad
- 15 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma gives Lucas a book he wanted to borrow.
- EmmaTiens, voilà le livre que tu cherchais.Here, here is the book you were looking for.
- LucasMerci beaucoup, Emma !Thanks a lot, Emma!
- EmmaDe rien, Lucas.You're welcome, Lucas.
- LucasC'est très gentil de ta part.That's very kind of you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “you're welcome” translations and entries de rien, il n'y a pas de quoi, pas de quoi, je vous en prie, je t'en prie, s'il vous plaît, bienvenue, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, de, de rien, il, il n'y a pas de quoi, n'y, rien, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
