86 new ways to say thank you and you’re welcome in French

Learning how to say thank you and you’re welcome in French should be one of your top priorities, whether you’re just visiting Paris for a week or are just starting your language-learning journey.

Unless you consider yourself to be a rude person (which we know you don’t!), thank you, and you’re welcome should be one of the first few words you learn in any new language. If you’ve just started learning French, we applaud you for taking the time to properly thank people and respond to them when they thank you.

If you’re just looking to survive in a French-speaking region, then learning how to say these two things will take absolutely no time. However, what’s the fun in learning a new language without exploring all the different variations of a specific word?

Just as in English, the French use countless variations to say thank you and you’re welcome. After all, language would be dull and transactional if you only used the exact same words over and over, right?

In this guide, we’ll show you dozens (More than 80!) of different ways to say thank you, and you’re welcome in French. We’ll include the IPA spelling as well as a pronunciation guide so you can start thanking people right away.

Read on to learn more!

Why you should learn how to say thank you in French

Before we keep going, you should know why learning to say thank you, and you’re welcome in French is such a good idea. At Berlitz, we strongly believe that learners should always be excited to learn a new language. This can be reflected in our online French classes, where our teachers always strive to find real-world applications to all our curricula.

Here are three of our top four reasons why you should know how to say thank you and you’re welcome (and at least a few variations!).

1. Make life interesting

We promise we’re not trying to be deep and philosophical here. But think about it—how boring would life be if we only had one word for each thing we wanted to say?

Variety is what keeps us on our toes. It helps us engage with people in genuine and meaningful ways instead of just operating like actors in a scripted play. Knowing how to say and understand several variations of words will allow you to break through and add some spice to your everyday life.

2. Help us express ourselves

Variety also helps us express ourselves with more sincerity. If you’re a laid-back person, you probably use variations like ‘no problem’ more often than ‘you’re welcome.’

Have you ever seen a small child try to be polite? You notice how forced it comes across? Of course, the child is trying their best as the parents are probably trying to drill politeness into the kid. Eventually, though, the child grows out of this awkward phase and starts using words expertly. You should also grow out of this awkward phase whenever you learn a new language.

Learning different ways of saying the same thing will definitely help you feel more comfortable as you speak a new language. It’ll help your personality come through, which will, in turn, help you claim ownership of the language as your own.

3. Adjust to context

How you say thank you and you’re welcome varies widely depending on who you’re speaking to. If you’re talking to a close friend, then you probably want to use some slang and more informal phrases. But if you’re talking to your boss—that’s a different story.

Learning a few ways to say thank you and you’re welcome will help you be more context-specific when you speak French with your friends, colleagues, and even strangers.

4. Be a more thoughtful person

Sometimes, a simple thank you goes a long way. Other times, it just doesn’t cut it. If a close friend did you a really big favor, the least you can do is thank them appropriately with your words.

By the same token, you also want to share that you were happy to help after doing your friend a favor. You don’t want to just say, “you’re welcome,” you want to say something like, “glad I could help!”

Even if minor, different words have nuances that make them unique. How you choose to express your feelings of gratefulness will affect how others perceive you, and knowing more variations will only allow you to be more thoughtful.

How to say thank you in French

You’ve probably already heard that merci is how you say thank you in French. However, there are dozens of ways to say the same thing beyond a simple merci. You can express different levels of gratefulness using different phrases, which will help you match your words to the action more accordingly.

So, whether you’re hoping to become a pro or simply want to learn some simple phrases like how to say “thank you, have a nice day” in French, we’ve got your back.

Here are over three dozen ways to express your thanks.

English	French	IPA Spelling
Thank you	Merci	mɛʁsi
Thanks	Merci	mɛʁsi
Thank you (emphasis on you)	Merci à toi	mɛʁsi a twa
Thank you (emphasis on plural you)	Merci à vous	mɛʁsi a vu
Thank you very much	Merci beaucoup	mɛʁsi boku
Thank you so much	Un immense merci	ɛ̃n‿ immɑ̃s mɛʁsi
No thank you	Non, merci	nɔ̃ | mɛʁsi
Okay thank you	D’accord, merci	dakɔʁ | mɛʁsi
Thank you my friend	Merci, mon ami	mɛʁsi | mɔ̃n‿ ami
Thank you, have a nice day	Merci, bonne journée	mɛʁsi | bɔn ʒuʁne
Thank you for everything	Merci pour tout	mɛʁsi puʁ tu
Thank you all	Merci à tous	mɛʁsi a tu
Thank you, have a nice day	Merci, bonne journée	mɛʁsi | bɔn ʒuʁne
Thank you for your help	Merci pour votre aide	mɛʁsi puʁ vɔtʁ‿ ɛd
Thank you for coming to see me	Merci de venir me chercher	mɛʁsi də vəniʁ mə ʃɛʁʃe
Many thanks	Beaucoup de mercis	boku də mɛʁsi
A thousand thanks	Mille mercis	mil mɛʁsi
Thank you a thousand times	Merci mille fois	mɛʁsi mil fwa
A big thank you	Un grand merci	ɛ̃ ɡʁɑ̃ mɛʁsi
Thank you for the gift	Merci pour votre cadeau	mɛʁsi puʁ vɔtʁə kado
Thank you for listening	Merci pour m’écouter	mɛʁsi puʁ mekute
Thanks in advance	Merci d’avance	mɛʁsi davɑ̃s
Thank you for your service	Merci pour votre service	mɛʁsi puʁ vɔtʁə sɛʁvis
Thank you for the meal	Merci pour le repas	mɛʁsi puʁ lə ʁəpa
Thank you my brother	Merci mon frère	mɛʁsi mɔ̃ fʁɛʁ
Thanks a lot	Merci bien	mɛʁsi bjɛ̃
Infinitely thank you	Merci infiniment	mɛʁsi ɛ̃finimɑ̃
Thank you from the bottom of my heart	Merci du fond du cœur	mɛʁsi dy fɔ̃ dy kœʁ
A big thanks to…	Un grand merci à…	ɛ̃ ɡʁɑ̃ mɛʁsi a
Thank you, that means a lot to me	Merci, ça compte beaucoup pour moi	mɛʁsi | sa kɔ̃t boku puʁ mwa
That’s very kind	C'est gentil	sɛ ʒɑ̃ti
It is very touching	Ça me touche beaucoup	sa mə tuʃ boku
Thank god	Dieu, merci	djø | mɛʁsi
Thank you, beautiful	Merci, ma belle	mɛʁsi | ma bɛl
Thank you, Mrs	Merci, Madame	mɛʁsi | madam
Thank you, Sir	Merci, Monsieur	mɛʁsi | məsjø
Thanks to	Grâce à	ɡʁas‿ a

How to say thank you in French formally

If you’re in a business environment or anywhere you’d have to be formal and polite, you’ll want to be very careful with your words. A simple ‘thanks’ may not be the most appropriate way to thank a big client or your father-in-law, so knowing a few formal ways to say thank you will prevent you from making a faux-pas.

In general, the verb remercier is a lot more common when you’re trying to thank someone formally. You can think of it as the verb form of merci, as the words are very closely related. In fact, you can even spot merci in the verb remercier!

You can then conjugate remercier like any other regular verb to say things like “I thank you” (je te remercie). Of course, you can also use the formal vous to make things even more formal, but remercier works just fine with tu as well.

Let’s take a look at the table below to learn some formal ways to say thank you formally.

English	French	IPA Spelling
Thank you	Je vous remercie	ʒə vu ʁəmɛʁsi
Thank you (slightly less formal)	Je te remercie	ʒə tə ʁəmɛʁsi
Thanks for coming	Je vous remercie d’être venu	ʒə vu ʁəmɛʁsi dɛtʁə vəny
With all my thanks	Avec tous mes remerciements	avɛk tu me ʁəmɛʁsimɑ̃
That’s very kind of you	C'est vraiment gentil de votre part	sɛ vʁɛmɑ̃ ʒɑ̃ti də vɔtʁə paʁ
I send you my most sincere thanks	Je vous adresse mes plus vifs remerciements	ʒə vuz‿ adʁɛs me ply vif ʁəmɛʁsimɑ̃
Thank you for your business	Nous vous remercions pour votre entreprise	nu vu ʁəmɛʁsjɔ̃ puʁ vɔtʁ‿ ɑ̃tʁəpʁiz
(We) Thank you for your attention	Nous vous remercions de votre attention	nu vu ʁəmɛʁsjɔ̃ də vɔtʁ‿ atɑ̃sjɔ̃
I wanted to thank you for your attention	Je voulais vous remercier de votre attention	ʒə vulɛ vu ʁəmɛʁsje də vɔtʁ‿ atɑ̃sjɔ̃
Thank him on my behalf	Remerciez-le de ma part	ʁəmɛʁsjelə də ma paʁ
Thank her on my behalf	Remerciez-la de ma part	ʁəmɛʁsjela də ma paʁ
I would like to send my thanks to him/her	Je voudrais lui adresser mes remerciements	ʒə vudʁɛ lɥi adʁɛse me ʁəmɛʁsimɑ̃
I am thankful	Je suis reconnaissant	ʒə sɥi ʁəkɔnɛsɑ̃
I am thankful to you	Je vous suis reconnaissant	ʒə vu sɥi ʁəkɔnɛsɑ̃
I don’t have the words to say thanks to you	Je n’ai pas les mots pour vous dire merci	ʒə ne pa le mo puʁ vu diʁ mɛʁsi
That’s very thoughtful	C’est très attentionné	sɛ tʁɛz‿ atɑ̃sjɔne
Thanks to your kind heart	À votre bon cœur	a vɔtʁə bɔ̃ kœʁ
I want to express my gratitude to you	Je tiens à vous exprimer ma gratitude	ʒə tjɛ̃ a vuz‿ ɛkspʁime ma ɡʁatityd
I don’t know how I could thank you	Je ne sais pas comment vous remercier	ʒə nə sɛ pa kɔmɑ̃ vu ʁəmɛʁsje

How to say thank you in French slang

You cannot learn French without spending some time learning about French slang. From argot to verlan, there are many different informal ways to express gratitude.

Keep in mind that these are more suited for teenagers, young adults, and those with very relaxed personalities, so be careful not to say something that would seem out of character for you!

English	French	IPA Spelling
Thanks	Cimer	sime
Thanks	Merki	mɛʁki
Thx (for texting)	Mci	msi
I owe you one	Je te dois une fière chandelle	ʒə tə dwa yn fjɛʁ ʃɑ̃dɛl
You’re the best	T’es le best	tɛ lə bɛst
Thank you for the ride	Merci pour la balade	mɛʁsi puʁ la balad

How to say thank you in Canadian French

If you’re wondering how French Canadians say thank you, you’re already thinking two steps ahead. Canadian French can be quite different from metropolitan French, and people in Québec tend to use words drastically different from those used in other francophone regions.

However, thank you is not one of those words. French Canadians say thank you just as French people do. So, if you’re wondering how to say thank you in Canadian French, rest assured that it is no different from standard French.

If you insist on making your French more Canadian, you can add a common Canadian French word after you say thank you. Something like merci, mon chum (thank you, my friend) would help you really nail down the Canadian French dialect.

How to write a thank you note in French

The French are generally not the most expressive people. If you’ve studied the ways to express love in French, you know that they tend to be a lot more indirect with showing love, affection, and appreciation. The same is true for saying thank you, which is why sending thank you notes is not that common in France.

With that said, you can still send a thank you note to someone if you’re truly appreciative. It won’t raise any eyebrows, and the receiver will likely appreciate the gesture. Just don’t take it personal if you don’t receive any thank you notes from French people!

Here are some ways to write thank you notes for different occasions.

English	French	Context
Dear *name*, Thank you so much for your advice last week. I really appreciate everything you’ve done to help get this project moving forward. Sincerely, *name*	Cher *name*, Je vous adresse mes plus vifs remerciements pour vos conseils la semaine dernière. Je vous suis reconnaissant pour tout ce que vous avez fait pour aider à faire avancer ce projet. Je vous prie d’agréer, cher *name*, l’expression de mes salutations distinguées. *Your name*	This is a letter you would write to a business colleague, client, or vendor who recently helped you in some capacity with a work project.
Dear *name*, Thank you for being with us to celebrate the fourth anniversary of our business. We are very grateful for all the help. Please accept our warm regards. *Your name*	Cher *name*, Merci d'être à nos côtés pour fêter le quatrième anniversaire de l'entreprise. Nous vous sommes reconnaissants de votre aide pour l’entreprise. Nous vous prions d’agréer, cher *name*, l’expression de nos salutations dévouées. *Your name*	This is something company management would write to attendees of a company event—in this case, a company anniversary party.
Helo *name*, How are you? I hope you’re doing well. I wanted to take the time to thank you one more time for all the help you’ve given me. Best regards, *Your name*	Salut *name*, Comment ça va ? J'espère que tu passes du bon temps. Je voulais prendre le temps de te remercier une fois de plus pour toute l’aide que tu m’as fourni. Meilleures salutations, *Your name*	This is a letter you would write to a good friend of yours, just as a token of your appreciation for helping you with something.
Mrs/Mr *name*, I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for a great school year. I believe that your help has been truly helpful in my academic life. Please accept my warmest regards. *Your name*	Madame/Monsieur *name*, Je tenais à vous remercier de tout mon cœur pour une grande année scolaire. Je crois que votre aide m’a été vraiment utile dans ma vie académique. Je vous prie d’agréer, Madame/Monsieur *name*, l’expression de mes sentiments distingués. *Your name*	This is a thank you note you would write to one of your favorite college professors—someone whose class you really enjoyed and want to thank tremendously.

How to say you’re welcome in French

Now that you know how to say ‘thank you’ in a million different ways, you need to make sure that your vocabulary is just as diverse when it comes to saying you’re welcome. Just as there are different levels of intensity to saying thank you, there are varying degrees to which you can say you’re welcome.

We’ll break down the different ways of saying you’re welcome into formal and informal phrases. As a bonus, we’ll include a fun and unique way to say you’re welcome in Canadian French! Keep reading.

You’re welcome in French formally

The formal way to say you’re welcome in French usually involves the verb prier. Although the word literally translates to “pray,” it more closely resembles the meaning of “beg.” It may sound dramatic to American ears, but in French it’s commonly used as a short way of telling someone “I beg you not to think too much of it” or “I beg you to stop thanking me.”

Keep in mind that both je vous en prie and je t’en prie can also mean “please,” especially in a situation where someone is providing a service.

Here are some formal ways to say you're welcome.

English	French	IPA Spelling
You’re welcome	Je vous en prie	ʒə vuz‿ ɑ̃ pʁi
You’re welcome (slightly less formal)	Je t'en prie	ʒə tɑ̃ pʁi
Don’t worry about it	Ne vous en faites pas	nə vuz‿ ɑ̃ fɛt pa
My pleasure	Avec plaisir	avɛk plɛziʁ
My pleasure	Ça me fait plaisir	sa mə fɛ plɛziʁ
I should be the one thanking you	C’est moi	sɛ mwa
It’s me who is thanking you	C’est moi qui vous remercie	sɛ mwa ki vu ʁəmɛʁsi
Thanks to you	Merci à vous	mɛʁsi a vu
At your service (Switzerland)	À votre service	a vɔtʁə sɛʁvis
You’re welcome (Belgium)	S’il vous plaît	sil vu plɛ

You’re welcome in French informally

Informally, French can be just as creative as English when it comes to saying you’re welcome. The general gist of these phrases is to let the other person know that it's not a big deal or it’s nothing to thank you for. Just as in English, there are many ways to say no problem and you’re welcome.

Here are some of our favorite informal ways to say you’re welcome.

English	French	IPA Spelling
You’re welcome	De rien	də ʁjɛ̃
No problem	Pas de problème	pa də pʁɔblɛm
It’s nothing at all	C'est rien du tout	sɛ ʁjɛ̃ dy tu
It’s nothing	C’est n’est rien	sɛ nɛ ʁjɛ̃
Don’t worry about it	T’inquiètes pas	tɛ̃kjɛt pa
Nothing to thank me for	Il n’y a pas de quoi	il nj‿ a pa də kwa
Of course	C’est normal	sɛ nɔʁmal
Don’t worry about it	T’en fais pas	tɑ̃ fɛ pa
Nothing to thank for my friend	Il n'y a pas de quoi mon ami	il nj‿ a pa də kwa mɔ̃n‿ ami

You’re welcome in Canadian French

If you’re visiting Québec for the first time, you need to prepare by learning a few French Canadian words and phrases to get you by. Otherwise, you’ll be struggling to understand what they’re trying to say as they tend to use words and phrases very differently from the rest of the Francosphere.

Saying you’re welcome is a perfect example of this. Instead of saying de rien or je vous en prie, the most common way to say you’re welcome in Canadian French is bienvenue. Yes, as in bienvenue à bord (welcome aboard) and bienvenue à Paris (welcome to Paris).

French Canadians tend to borrow words from English or use French words as if they were speaking English. This is one of those cases. Bienvenue is used to say you’re welcome in the same way “welcome” can be used in English.

The problem is, most non-Canadian French speakers would be wildly confused if they said merci and got hit back with a bienvenue. It just doesn’t work outside of Canada. But, now that you’re familiar with it, you won’t be surprised next time you visit Montréal or have a conversation with your French Canadian friends.