To say “You’re welcome” in French as a response to Merci (Thank you), you can use the informal De rien ! (It was nothing!) or the more formal Je vous en prie (You’re welcome). “You’re welcome” is one of the first phrases you’ll want to use to show your good manners in French, so it’s also important to know which situations call for a more formal response and which are more casual. But you might also need to know the difference in saying “you’re welcome” when inviting someone into your home. Mastering French manners will help you enter conversations smoothly and with confidence, even as a beginner.
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Casual ways to say ‘you’re welcome’ in French
If you’re talking to friends, close colleagues, or in public interactions that feel more casual, these responses to merci, or “thank you” in French, are very common and automatic. If you’re unsure which phrase to use, opt for a more formal one.
De rien. (It was nothing.)
De rien (deuh ree-eh) is one of the most common responses to merci. Learn to pronounce the nasal sounds French is known for with Rosetta Stone’s TruAccent speech recognition engine. It will give you feedback if you try to pronounce the final “n” in de rien.
- Merci ! = Thanks!
- De rien ! = You’re welcome!
You may already know that the word rien means “nothing,” and de can mean “of/from/about” or it can express possession in place of ‘s in English. So how did we get “you’re welcome” from that?
Don’t worry. Common conversational phrases like de rien aren’t always translated word-for-word from one language to the other, so in my experience as a teacher of beginners, it’s much less confusing to learn whole phrases or chunks of meaning, rather than a word-by-word translation.
Il n’y a pas de quoi./Pas de quoi. (Don’t mention it.)
Another formula to say “you’re welcome” in French as a response to “thank you” is il n’y a pas de quoi. This is a quicker way to express the idea il n’y a pas de quoi me remercier (There is no reason to thank me). Though the English translation isn’t word-for-word, one English equivalent would be something like “Don’t mention it” or “No worries.”
- Merci, monsieur. = Thank you, sir.
- Il n’y a pas de quoi. = Don’t mention it.
- Merci. = Thanks.
- Pas de quoi. = No worries.
Phrases for good manners are fairly automatic because they are so common. Just as English speakers sometimes shorten formulaic responses such as “I am fine, thank you, and you” to “Fine, thanks. You?” French speakers sometimes truncate the phrase to simply pas de quoi to save time.
More formal options for ‘you’re welcome’ in French
In many formal interactions, such as in professional settings, when you’re serving a customer or client, or when your best manners are required, you will want to default to more formal sayings and ways of addressing a person. Generally speaking, vous is the preferred form of “you” unless you know a person fairly well. Learning tu vs. vous in French is essential to showing respect and mastery of French grammar.
Je vous en prie. (You’re welcome.)
You’ll sound the most polite with Je vouse en prie, where the literal translation is something like “I pray/beg it of you.” An English equivalent would be something like “That’s quite all right” or “By all means.”
- Merci. = Thank you.
- Je vous en prie. = You’re welcome.
French culture tends to use more formal language with strangers, so as you learn how to speak French, this is a safe route if you’re not sure that more casual options are appropriate. It’s also the form to use for groups of people.
Je t’en prie. (You’re welcome.)
Je t’en prie is still a very polite but less formal version of Je vous en prie. It’s fine to use in a formal setting, like a wedding or “dressed up occasion,” but only with a child or a person you know well. You’re still using the French tutoiement, the informal way to address another person, but elevating your phrase instead of the more relaxed options.
- Merci. = Thank you.
- Je t’en prie. = You’re welcome.
French regional responses to ‘thank you’
The question isn’t always “How do you say ‘you’re welcome’ in French,” but sometimes “How do people respond to ‘thank you’ in this region of the Francophone world?” It’s still perfectly fine to use the standard French words and phrases that you’ve learned first, but as you travel within different French regions, you can enjoy the variety of common expressions that give the French language its regional flavor.
| Regional French | Standard French Meaning | Location of Use |
| Avec plaisir/C’est un plaisir. | With pleasure. | South of France |
| Bienvenue | Welcome | Canada |
| S’il vous plaît/S’il te plaît | Please | Belgium |
| Service ! | service, shortened from à votre service (at your service) | Switzerland |
In Canada, bienvenue is the same word used for welcoming guests in standard French. This is a calque, or loan translation, from English “you’re welcome” as a response to “thank you.”
Bienvenue: using ‘welcome’ as an interjection or greeting
Your translation tool might indicate that Vous êtes les bienvenus is the main way to say “you’re welcome,” in French, but that’s actually the literal translation of the English words “you,” “are,” and “welcome.” In French, bienvenue means “welcome,” as in a host warmly inviting someone to a home, office, meeting, or other group situation, but you won’t typically use it as a response to “thank you.”
- Bienvenue chez nous ! = Welcome to our home!
- Bienvenue au musée. = Welcome to the museum.
- Bienvenue à notre fête ! = Welcome to our party!
When using the word bienvenue in this common formula to welcome your guests, it’s always spelled the same way, no matter to whom you are speaking.
Use French adjective agreement when saying ‘You are welcome’
When saying the full sentence “You are welcome,” the spelling of the word “welcome” varies according to agreement rules for French adjectives. If you’re speaking, you won’t hear the difference in the French pronunciation because both the additional “e” and “s” will be silent at the end of the word. But if you’re writing it in an email or a French presentation, the difference is clear.
| French Expression | When to Use It |
| Tu es le bienvenu. | singular, masculine, casual |
| Tu es la bienvenue. | singular, feminine, casual |
| Vous êtes le bienvenu. | singular, masculine, formal |
| Vous êtes la bienvenue. | singular, feminine, formal |
| Vous êtes les bienvenus. | plural |
| Vous êtes les bienvenues. | plural, feminine |
Good manners open doors to connection
The standard expressions and formulas for good manners that you’ll learn are a great start for making connections with a language and culture. You can always start with greetings, goodbyes, and kind expressions in other languages. Many expressions for good manners come with standard responses, such as “You’re welcome.”
Even if you’re a total beginner, learning phrases like de rien can boost your confidence in simple social interactions like browsing in a shop, making a simple purchase with a cashier, or holding open a door for a stranger. Take the next step and listen to conversations around you to notice which phrases are most common in that situation for saying “You’re welcome” in French.
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