After learning how to say “hello” in French, one of the next best phrases to learn in French is “thank you.” You probably already know merci (thank you), but there are other ways to extend thanks to friends, professionals, and acquaintances. There are expected and polite formulas to express gratitude in various situations in French. If you learn when to use each and how to respond, you’ll show your good manners.
With the variety of situations in which to express your thanks, we’ve put together this guide to help you speak French with confidence.
Table of Contents
18 common ways to say ‘thank you’ in French
Merci and its variants are some of the most essential French words a beginner should learn. As you glance at this chart, you can see that there are casual and formal ways to say “thank you” in French, ways to thank a group versus an individual, and expressions that make the most sense in writing.
| French | English | Use |
| Merci | Thank you | formal/informal |
| Merci à vous | Thank you | formal, with emphasis on the “you” |
| Merci à toi | Thank you | informal, with emphasis on the “you” |
| Merci beaucoup | Thanks a lot/Thank you very much | formal/informal |
| Merci bien | Thanks very much/Thanks a lot | formal/informal/can be sarcastic |
| Merci mille fois | Thanks a million | informal |
| Merci infiniment | Thanks a million | formal/informal with emphasis |
| Je vous remercie pour … | I thank you for … | formal/written |
| Je te remercie pour … | I thank you for … | informal/written |
| Avec tous mes remerciements, | With all my thanks, | formal/written |
| C’est vraiment gentil de votre part | It’s really kind of you | formal |
| Merci, monsieur. | Thank you, Sir. | formal |
| Merci, madame. | Thank you, Madam. | formal |
| Merci d’avance/Merci par avance | Thanks in advance | formal/informal |
| Non merci | No thank you | polite refusal |
| Non merci, sans façon. | No thanks, I’m fine. No, but thanks anyway. | polite but insistent refusal/slightly informal |
| Un grand merci à … | A big thanks to … | thanking someone in front of a group |
| Merci à tous et à toutes | Thank you to everyone | speaking to a group |
How to use different forms of ‘thank you’ in French
There are lots of ways to say ‘thank you’ in French. A short and sweet merci might be appropriate if someone has held a door for you, but je souhaite vous remercier pour m’ouvrir la porte (I wish to thank you for opening the door for me) would be overkill. Merci à tous et à toutes (thanks to everyone) is a great way to open up a speech in front of a group, and avec tous mes remerciements (with all my thanks) is a good way to close a formal letter. Choose the expression that best suits your situation.
Merci (thank you)
As it’s the easiest way to say thank you in French, you’ll hear merci often for simple exchanges. You can use it with friends, strangers, and in restaurants and shops. In exchanges such as purchasing something from a cashier, both parties may use merci or something like merci, bonne journée (thanks, have a nice day) as an end to the transaction and conversation.
For a more profound sense of appreciation, especially in writing, you’ll want to use something a bit more formal and extensive. Writing a letter to accept an award or scholarship requires a bit more than merci alone, which could fall flat and seem a bit cold.
To pronounce merci, keep in mind the French “r” sound is a subtle sound from the back of the throat, and the “i” is pronounced “ee.” The letter “c” in French sounds like “s” in front of “i,” making the word sound like “mair-see.”
Merci beaucoup (thank you very much)
Merci beaucoup is “thank you very much” in French. It’s a polite way to express a deeper sense of thanks in almost any situation. The word beaucoup means “a lot.”
Be sure to pronounce the first syllable like “boh” and the second syllable like “coo.” You should not hear the final “p” sound at all, as it’s silent.
Merci bien (thanks a lot)
The word bien (well/good) is usually very positive, and if used with a clearly positive tone, the phrase merci bien could mean “thanks a lot.” Add a hint of sarcasm and you’ll get an ironic twist that expresses a dissatisfied or sarcastic “thanks a lot.”
Merci mille fois (thanks a million)
If you want to go even further than “thank you very much” in French, adding on mille (a thousand) and fois (times) is equivalent to the English phrase “thanks a million.” Don’t worry, there’s no exchange rate issue, even though million is technically “a million” in French, merci mille fois gets the same point across without needing to translate literally.
This expression is best used for a more profound sense of gratitude for an important service, such as if someone reschedules an appointment or covers your shift at work.
Je vous remercie pour/Je te remercie pour (I thank you for …)
This is a formal expression that can help you be very specific about what you’re thankful for. The verb remercier means “to thank.”
The difference between these two expressions is the situation. Je vous remercie is for formal situations with people you don’t know well or in formal contexts, whereas je te remercie is for friends and closer acquaintances. Vous and te in these phrases function as direct object pronouns in French.
To finish the phrase, use pour (for) and what you’re thankful for, such as l’aide (the help), le cadeau (the gift), l’invitation (the invitation), or votre/ton attention (your attention).
Avec tous mes remerciements (with all my thanks)
A nice thank you note is appreciated in French cultures, as it conveys gratitude and courtesy. In written documents, such as business emails or letters of request, the closing avec tous mes remerciements is a perfect way to sign off.
C’est vraiment gentil de votre part (that’s really nice of you)
This expression literally breaks down as “It’s really nice on your part,” but it would be the equivalent of the English “that’s really nice of you,” or “that’s so kind.” It sounds rather formal and can be used in writing or conversations. To use it a bit more casually, switch to c’est très gentil de ta part, which has the same meaning but uses the informal ta for “your.”
Merci, monsieur/merci, madame (thank you Sir/Madam)
Courtesy and manners are important in French culture. Using monsieur (Sir) and madame (Madam) shows respect in formal situations or with strangers.
Some learners are curious to know whether mademoiselle (Miss), formerly used for unmarried women and young girls, is acceptable today. As of 2012, mademoiselle is no longer used in legal documents so an adult woman does not need to reveal her marital status.
Some French speakers say that the term is still problematic even in spoken French, and have switched to saying jeune femme (young woman) even when referring to a young girl. But, you may still hear the term when someone is addressing a younger-looking woman or young girl, from those who consider it “traditional,” or if a woman has specifically chosen to keep this title.
Merci à vous/merci à toi (thank you)
Sometimes you receive a merci from someone and want to turn it right back around to thank them as well. In English, we can do this by emphasizing our voices, and in French, we use the indirect object pronouns vous (you; formal) and toi (you; informal).
- Merci ! = Thank you!
- Merci à toi ! = No, thank you!
Merci d’avance/merci par avance (thanks in advance)
In written correspondence, such as an email or business letter, you can politely emphasize your request with the phrase merci d’avance (thanks in advance). The phrase merci par avance is equally correct. Just don’t translate literally, as the preposition en (in) would not sound right in French. En avance means “early” or “ahead of schedule” and is more suited to a train or airplane departing before intended.
Merci infiniment (thanks a million)
Don’t overdo this one. If your server brings you a coffee, a polite merci will be enough of a thank you in French. Merci infiniment means more like “thanks a million,” as infiniment means “infinitely.” You could use it to thank a wedding guest for the meaningful and generous gift of their presence, or for some kindness for which you will be eternally grateful.
Merci pour tout (thanks for everything)
If you’ve enjoyed a longer stay with a host or experienced a multi-day tour with a guide, you’ve probably already said your share of merci expressions. Upon departure, you could use merci pour tout (thanks for everything) to sum up your gratitude over the length of the experience. This expression has a nuance of finality to it, so use it as a conclusion, not multiple times.
How to say ‘no thanks’ politely in French.
If you’ve been offered something and would like to politely refuse, you can simply use non, merci or merci, non (no thanks). Including the non makes it clear that you’re declining the offer.
In some parts of France, saying merci means “no thanks” in the context of something like being offered another coffee. If you’re the host, that might be confusing, since English speakers might say “thanks” when they mean “yes, please.” If the merci is accompanied by a hand gesture of refusal, it means non. If you think you’ve accepted an offer that never arrives, perhaps you’ve accidentally refused.
If your host insists on serving you a second helping of dessert anyway, you can be clear that you’re not just being polite by saying non merci, sans façon. (No, really, thanks.) This can be helpful because in some cultural backgrounds, refusing once is seen as a soft refusal, just to be polite, and the other person is expected to insist or offer again.
How to thank a group of people in French
If you’re saying “thank you” in French to a group of people, several expressions you’ve already learned will come in handy. Vous forms are used both in formal situations and any time you’re addressing more than one person. If merci beaucoup doesn’t seem like enough, use je vous remercie pour … or c’est vraiment gentil de votre part.
If you’re speaking to a crowd, you might thank them all as a group for attending an event or working toward a cause. The polite formula for this is
- Merci à tous et à toutes. = Thank you (to) everyone.
While tous (all) can be the default way to refer to a group of people of both genders and could stand for “everyone” alone, it’s more inclusive to add et à toutes to specifically include women and girls. Efforts to use this and other inclusive formulas are increasingly common in French.
If you’re giving a speech, you might have an individual, an organization, or a list of people to thank. For this, use un grand merci à …(a big thank you to …) followed by the name or names.
Other ways to say ‘thanks’ in French
Translations of the word “thank” or “thank you” from English truly depend on the context. Here are a few other times you may see merci or different translations of “thank” in French.
Grâce à/À cause de (thanks to …)
If your sentence is “thanks to (someone/something) for …” you won’t use merci at all. Use grâce à (thanks to/owing to) instead to recognize something positive.
- Grâce à ton effort, tu as réussi ! = Thanks to your effort, you have succeeded!
If the situation is negative, opt for the phrase à cause de (because of) instead.
- À cause de l’inondation, la rue est fermée. = Thanks to the flood, the road is closed.
Dieu Merci (thank God)
The phrase Dieu Merci is just a different word order from its English translation, “thank God.” A similar phrase Que Dieu soit loué (praise God) has a more religious tone. You could also use the construction heureusement que followed by the subjunctive if you want to express a longer thought.
This phrase gives us the jovial rhyme Dieu Merci, C’est Vendredi ! (Thank God it’s Friday!) and its abbreviation DMCV (TGIF).
Merci de (faire quelque chose)
If you see or hear the phrase merci de followed by an action or verb, this is a polite request for you to do (or not do) something. The demand is softened a bit by thanking you in advance for your compliance and is common in shared workspaces or places open to the public.
- Merci de fermer la porte. = Thank you for closing the door.
- Merci de faire attention. = Thank you for paying attention.
- Merci de faire votre vaisselle. = Thank you for doing (your own) dishes.
- Merci de ne pas déranger. = Thank you for not disturbing.
- Merci de ne pas toucher. = Thank you for not touching.
- Merci de ne pas fumer. = Thank you for not smoking.
- Merci de ne pas prendre photos/vidéos. = Thank you for not taking pictures/video.
Cimer (thanks)
Spend much time around adolescents or those who use a lot of slang, and you’ll hear some verlan, a type of slang formed by switching the order of syllables in common French words. Cimer is the reversal of the syllables of merci. While not standard or common in serious contexts, verlan French slang words can add a casual and fun feel to a conversation among friends.
De Rien and other ways to say ‘you’re welcome’ in French
Now that you know how to say “thank you” in French, learn how to respond when someone says merci. The textbook translation of “you’re welcome” would be de rien, which is indeed common. But in the real world, French speakers use a wider variety of responses to say “you’re welcome” in French.
De Rien (it’s nothing)
This expression literally means “it’s nothing.” You’ll hear this fairly often among friends or in casual conversation as a formulaic response to merci. Don’t be surprised if the response you get in some cases, such as in a restaurant, is no response at all. It may not always be necessary to respond.
Merci (thanks)
Wait, what? Doesn’t merci mean thanks? Yes, and it still does when used as a response, but it’s fairly standard to end a quick exchange, such as at a bank or cash register, with both parties saying merci.
Je vous en prie/Je t’en prie (don’t mention it)
A more formal option for a formulaic exchange in which you’re showing off your manners would be je vous en prie if you’d vouvoyer (use vous with) the person, and je t’en prie if you’d tutoyer (use tu with the person). These idiomatic expressions don’t really translate word for word, but are similar to “that’s quite alright,” or “don’t mention it.”
Pas de quoi/Il n’y a pas de quoi (it’s nothing)
This is just another way to say “it’s nothing,” to respond politely to an expression of thanks. Drop the il n’y a (the first part of “there is no …”) for a quicker response.
Bienvenue and other regional expressions
In Canadian French, you’ll hear bienvenue (welcome) as a response to merci. This is the literal translation of the word “welcome” from English and has become a calque, or translation expression that originates from another language.
The phrase pas de souci might fall into this category, as a calque of “no worries.” Sometimes, French speakers will use t’inquiète, short for ne t’inquiète pas (don’t worry) in this way as well.
In French-speaking Switzerland, you may hear Service ! as a shortened form of à votre service (at your service) as one way that Swiss French has its own flavor.
Show your good manners in French using the correct ‘thank you’
If you’re traveling, doing business, or making friends in a French-speaking country, you’ll want to show your courtesy and respectful manners. You’ll also probably need a lot of help, so saying “thank you” the appropriate way is a great way to express your appreciation.
Learning just merci alone is a great start to learning how to say “thank you” in French, but now you’ve discovered expressions that rise to a certain level of formality, are common in everyday life, and can help you fit in with your surroundings.
Saying “thank you” and responding appropriately is just one of the ways that learning French can help you get to know more people and speak French with confidence. If you’re interested in practicing these skills, Rosetta Stone’s Dynamic Immersion method is based on engaging lessons that can give you the boost you need.
0 Commentaires