Thank You in French

From LoveToKnow French

The standard way to say "thank you" in French is Merci (pronounced mair see). Of course when it comes to expressing gratitude, the French are generous and gracious. Read on to find out more about French culture along with useful French phrases when saying "thank you" in this language.

thank you

Basic Phrases to Say Thank You in French

For when "merci" just isn't enough. . .

Expressions of Thankfulness
FrenchPronunciationTranslation
Remercier à quelqu'unruh mair see ay ah kell kuhnTo thank someone
Dieu mercidee uh mair seeThank God or thank heavens
Gràce àgrahss ahThanks to
Reconnaissant (e) dereh con eh sont duhThankful as in grateful
Soulagé (e)soo lah zhayThankful as in relieved
Avec soulagementah vek soo lazh mohnThankfully (with a sense of relief)
Avec reconnaissanceah vek ruh cohn eh sohnsThankfully (with a sense of gratefulness)
Ingrat(e)ehn grah (t)Ungrateful, ingrate
Action de grâceah xee ohn duh grahssThanksgiving (the act of thanksgiving)
Merci beaucoupmair see bo cooThank you very much
Merci bienmair see bee ehnThanks a lot (sometimes sarcastic)
Je vous remerciezhuh voo ruh mair seeI thank you
C'est gentil de ta partsay gehn teel duh tah pahrThat's kind of you
Merci d'avancemair see dah vahnsThank you in advance (like at the end of a letter)

Which Preposition Do You Use?

As a brief refresher, a preposition is a word that links the subject of the sentence to the object of the sentence. In the case of thanking someone, if you were to say:

Thank you for the gift.

The subject is thank you (technically the subject is I as in I thank you), the object of the sentence is the gift, and the word that brings it all together (the preposition) is for. In English, for is generally used when thank someone whether you are thanking someone for doing something or thanking someone for something:

  • Thank you for cleaning out the garage.
  • Thank you for the cookies.

In French, this is not the case. Which preposition you use depends on what you are thanking for, and the verb you use to express that thanks. In general, the rules are as follows:

  • Use de when you are thanking someone for something abstract or for doing something for you.
  • Use pour when you are thanking someone for something tangible, like a gift.
  • Certain verbs require that you use à.

Examples: Pour

Here are a few examples of how you should use the preposition pour when thanking someone:

Merci pour le cadeau. Thank you for the gift.

Merci pour le pizza. Thank you for the pizza.

Examples: De

Here are a few examples of how you should use the preposition de when thanking someone. Remember too, that de is combined with le to make du:

Merci d'être un si bon ami. (or bonne amie if you're speaking to a girl) Thank you for being such a good friend.

Merci de fair la vaiselle. Thank you for doing the dishes.

Merci du conseil. Thank you for the advice.

Examples: À

Some verbs are "incomplete" without their preposition. When you're learning these verbs, it's important to think of them with their preposition attached because you'll never see them any other way. In French, the verb to express gratitude that demands the preposition à is remercier which means to thank. Here are a few examples:

Soyez sûr de la remercier à réaliser un si bon travail. Be sure to thank her for doing such a good job.

Je vous remercie à aider. I thank you for helping.

Expressing Thanks in a Restaurant or Hotel: Tipping

What lets your server know that you appreciate him more than a generous tip? However, unlike in the United States where a tip is left entirely up to the patron, in France, it is law to include the gratuity on the bill. Therefore, tipping is done entirely differently in France.

If the service was good, it is customary to round out your bill to the next dollar and leave the change. If the restaurant is particularly inexpensive, it is customary to leave about 5% of the bill as a tip.

When you're at your hotel, it is customary to give some change to the porter who carries your bags as well as the cloak room attendant and the chambermaid. However, be careful to look for signs that say "Pourboir Interdit" which means that tipping is forbidden.

Retrieved from "http://french.lovetoknow.com/Thank_You_in_French"

 


Comment on Thank You in French



(Displayed with your comment)                        (Will not be displayed)
Verification Code:   
    

French Categories
LoveToKnow Tools