How to say thank you in French  

Have you ever come across any word sweeter than ‘Thank you? The word ‘Thank you’ is considered a kind gesture in all the languages spoken in the words. Let’s explore how to say thank you in French.

Saying thank you becomes a need in our daily conversation. Suppose your friend just came to pick you up from the airport the moment you landed in France. What will say to show her that you are thankful? Of course, you will use the word ‘thank you. You will need to learn in order to speak French fluently.

France is all about good manners and hospitality. The people of France are very well-mannered and believe in greeting one another very gently. So learning how to say ‘thank you’ in French is one of the most important things that you will ever do in your life.

“Thank you” in French

Here are some of the easy ways to say thank you in French.

Formal “Thank you”	Je vous remercie
Informal “Thank you”	Je te remercie
“Thanks”	Merci
“Thank you very much”	Merci beaucoup
“Thank you so much”	Un immense merci
“No, thank you”	Non, merci
“Thank you my friend”	Merci, mon ami/amie
“Thank u” via cell phone	Mci
“Thank you” in French slang	Ci Mer
“Thank God”	Dieu merci
“Many thanks”	Mille mercis
“Thank you beautiful”	Merci, ma belle
“Thank you for everything”	Merci pour tout
“Thank you for the meal”	Merci pour le repas
“Thank you for the succulent meal”	Merci pour le repas succulent
“Thank you for your business”	Nous sommes heureux de faire affaire avec vous
“Thank you” in formal correspondance	Je vous prie de recevoir l’expression de mes salutations distinguées
Formal “You’re welcome”	Je vous en prie
Informal “You’re welcome”	Je t’en prie
“It’s nothing at all”	C’est rien du tout
“With pleasure”	Avec plaisir
“No problem”	Pas de problème
“It’s nothing”	De rien

Now the question arises which one is the best way to say thank you? Well, that totally depends on the context in which you are saying thank you. You will have to examine various situations and then decide the correct use of thank you in French.

Different ways to say ‘thank you in French

In this post, we will explore how to say thank you in French based on different contexts and situations you may face.

“Thanks” in French – Merci

For the purpose of learning, Merci is the most recommended version of saying thanks to someone. It is easy and holds versatility. It can be used in various situations. You can say merci to thank the grocery shopkeeper, you can also say merci to a friend who just dropped you home from college.

But you cannot use merci to say thanks in formal settings. This word is normally used in informal situations such as with friends and family. This phrase is not acceptable during work in France.

“Thank you” in French to a stranger: Je vous remercie

In French, there are two versions of the word ‘you’. One is the formal version while the other one is the informal version. Vous is the formal version while Tu is the informal version.

Using tu to a stranger is an impolite way. So always use vous with the strangers. It will save you from embarrassment and maintain the standard of good manners.

“Thank you” in French to a friend: Je te remercie

It is one of the many ways to say thank you to a friend or to someone you know quite well. Te is the reflexive pronoun for tu. So it is totally normal to use te with your friends and informal relations.

“Thank you very much” in French – Merci beaucoup

This is another phrase that can be used in different situations. Once you get into France, you will hear this phrase quite often. But it is extremely important to pronounce it correctly. A slight mistake in its pronunciation can change its meaning entirely.

“Thank you so much” in French – Un immense merci 

This phrase is not often used because the French people usually avoid over-exaggeration in their conversations. They avoid using the words very much in their day-to-day conversations. Merci beaucoup is more widely used by native speakers in Paris and across France.

“No, thank you” in French – Non, merci

It is another very short yet extremely sweet phrase. When you do not require a certain thing or a certain help you can just say non, merci in a sweet way and it will successfully serve your purpose.

“Thank you, my friend” in French – Merci, mon ami/e

The French use the word ami which means friends for life. But be careful while using the word friend. This word is used in a lighter mood and should be used in informal settings only. In French, separate words are used for male friends and female friends.

• Ami is the male version of “friend”.
• Amie is the female version of “friend”.

“Thank u” in French via cell phone – Mci

At the present time, most of the conversations are done via phone calls so it is very important for you to learn how to say thank you in French over phone calls. Even if you are texting use the word ‘Mci’ to say thank you.

“Thank God” in French – Dieu merci

While seeing one of your most awaited wishes coming true you will surely want to thank God. Dieu merci will rightly serve your purpose. Just say it and thank your lucky stars to attract good luck even more.

“Many thanks” in French – Mille mercis

If someone has given you a favor and you want to give him or her a thousand thank you, go for this phrase. This phrase is quite often used in informal social media conversations.

“Thank you, beautiful” in French – Merci, ma belle/ma grande

It is recommended to be extremely careful while using this phrase. This is only supposed to be used with the ones you are close to. It is highly inappropriate to use this phrase with the ones you do not know.

“Thank you for everything” in French – Merci pour tout

This phrase is normally used for appreciation. For instance, your teacher just helped you complete your project, you can use merci pour tout to say thank you.

“Thank you for your business” in French – Nous sommes heureux de faire affaire avec vous

Most of the formal business conversations require this phrase to say thanks. It is a long-phrase and you need to be very careful with its pronunciation. To learn such long phrases, you can learn French online. It will help you pronounce such long phrases with ease and comfort.

“Thank you” in formal French – Je vous prie de recevoir l’expression de mes salutations distinguées

This phrase translates to, “I beg you to receive the expression of my best regards”. This phrase is usually used at the end of formal letters. It is basically a sweet way of signing off the letter.

How to avoid being seen as an aggressive tourist in France

In America, people usually smile a lot. But once you visit France, avoid smiling excessively. They consider smiling so much as a trait of unworthy people. Smiles are considered sacred in France.

Show your best manners. People in France believe in displaying their best manners in every given situation.

This was all about saying thank you in French. It is time for you to learn how to say ‘you are welcome’ in French.

• Je vous en prie is used when you want to say ‘you are welcome’ to a stranger.
• Je t’en prie is used when you want to say ‘you are welcome’ to a friend.

Conclusion

There are several different ways to say thank you in French. All you need to know is the right way to say thank you according to the situation you find yourself in. In order to solve this problem, you can consult French teachers to assist you. These teachers will train you in the right use of phrases in the right circumstances.

Avoid being over-expressive while doing conversations in French. People in France are sweet and focus on good manners but they also do not like to smile unnecessarily. They consider this trait as a sign of unworthy people. Before visiting France, learn about its culture, preferences, and people so that you can avoid any state of embarrassment and unease.