Thank you in French is merci (mehr-SEE). For more warmth, say merci beaucoup (thank you very much). In formal situations and letters, use je vous remercie (I thank you). To say what you are thankful for, add pour and a noun: merci pour le cadeau, thanks for the present. The usual reply is de rien.
- Thank you
- merci
- Thank you very much
- merci beaucoup
- Formal
- je vous remercie
- That's kind of you
- c'est gentil
- Level
- A1
How do you say thank you very much in French?
French intensifies merci by adding a word after it, not before. Merci beaucoup is by far the most common; beaucoup merci and merci très beaucoup are both mistakes English speakers make.
| French | English | Feel |
|---|---|---|
| Merci | Thanks, thank you | Everyday; fine with anyone |
| Merci beaucoup | Thank you very much | Warm, the standard "big" thanks |
| Merci mille fois / Mille mercis | A thousand thanks | Enthusiastic |
| Merci bien | Thanks | Polite, a little brisk; can sound ironic in the wrong tone |
| C'est (très) gentil | That's (very) kind | Often added after merci |
| Je te remercie | I thank you | Sincere, to someone you call tu |
| Je vous remercie | I thank you | Formal; speeches, letters, customer service |
C'est gentil is the add-on that makes French thanks sound natural. A stranger holds a door: merci, c'est gentil. A friend lends you a book: oh, merci, c'est trop gentil !
Merci pour or merci de?
Both are correct. Use merci pour before a noun, and merci de before a verb. With a verb about something already done, use the past infinitive: merci d'être venu (thanks for coming), merci de m'avoir aidé (thanks for helping me).
Merci pour tout.
Thanks for everything.
Merci pour le dîner, c'était délicieux.
Thanks for dinner, it was delicious.
Merci d'être venue.
Thanks for coming.
To a woman: venue takes an extra e in writing.
Merci de votre patience.
Thank you for your patience.
Formal; common in announcements. Merci pour votre patience is also fine.
Merci de ne pas fumer.
Please do not smoke.
On signs, merci de means please.
Here is merci pour with a noun in an A1 Contos mystery. An old man finds the wallet he lost at the market back on his doormat, with an unsigned note tucked inside:
Il lit : Merci pour votre gentillesse.A few lines later the verb remercier (to thank) appears as he wonders who is behind it: Qui le remercie comme ça ? (Who would thank him like that?).
Can merci mean no thank you?
Yes, and it catches visitors out. If someone offers you more wine or a second helping and you answer just merci, often with a small hand gesture, it usually means "no, thank you". To accept, say oui, merci or oui, je veux bien. To refuse clearly, say non, merci.
Encore un peu de café ? — Non, merci.
A bit more coffee? — No, thank you.
Oui, je veux bien, merci.
Yes please, thank you.
The friendly way to accept.
Merci, ça ira.
Thanks, I'm fine.
Polite refusal: "that will do".
How do you reply to merci?
De rien (it's nothing) is the reply everyone learns first, and it is fine in daily life. Je vous en prie is the polite version. If you are the one who should be grateful, turn it round with c'est moi qui vous remercie. All the options are on the page on how to say you're welcome in French.
Read A1 French stories and tap any word, every merci included, to see what it means.
Read free in your browserFrequently asked questions
How do you pronounce merci?
Say "mehr-SEE", with the stress on the second syllable. The r is the French throat r, light here, and the e is like the e in "her" said quickly. Avoid the English "mercy".
How do you write merci beaucoup?
Two words: merci beaucoup. Beaucoup ends in a silent p, and the eau is pronounced "oh": "boh-KOO".
How do you say thank you to a group in French?
Merci à tous (thanks, everyone) works anywhere. In a speech or an email, je vous remercie tous or merci à toutes et à tous, which includes women and men explicitly.
How do you thank someone in a French email?
Merci pour votre réponse (thanks for your reply) or merci d'avance (thanks in advance) are common. Formal emails often use je vous remercie de votre aide before signing off with cordialement.
Is merci bien rude?
No, but it is cooler than merci beaucoup, and with a sarcastic tone it means "thanks a lot" in the ironic sense. If in doubt, say merci beaucoup.