Language classes will likely teach you ‘de rien’, but depending on the context and who you’re speaking to, there are several alternative expressions to say ‘you’re welcome’ in French.
The most common way of saying “you’re welcome” in French and the phrase that is commonly taught to those learning the language is de rien (pronounced duh ree-ehn).
It literally translates to “of nothing”. It implies a sense of modesty, a service rendered is minimised to the point of making it unnecessary to mention. By responding this way, you downplay the reason why someone is thanking you.
But in France this one is most commonly used in casual conversation, with a friend or family member, while other circumstances require a more formal response.
READ MORE: French word of the Day: De rien v Je vous en prie
Let’s take a look at other ways of saying “you’re welcome” that are used in different contexts.
Il n’y a pas de quoi (roughly pronounced eel nee ah pah duh kwah)
This one translates to “it was nothing”. You might also hear an abbreviated version in spoken French: y’a pas de quoi. The pronoun il is rarely pronounced when speaking quickly.
This means: “there’s no need to thank me”. This is informal, and you’re more likely to hear this expression among friends or family. In other words, don’t use this in a professional context.
Use it like this: Merci de m’avoir aidé à cuisiner / Il n’y a pas de quoi, j’adore faire des gâteaux. – Thanks for helping me cook. / Don’t mention it, I love baking cakes.
Il n’y a pas de problème (roughly pronounced eel nee ya pah duh pro-blem)
This expression translates to “no problem”, and you’ll often hear it in spoken French. Just like the one above, the abbreviated version is pas de problème.
This again is quite informal, but can be used in an interaction with a stranger. Like if someone holds the door open for you and you thank them, they will say something like pas de problème or pas de souci (which is a synonym of the French word problème).
Use it like this: Merci de m’avoir attendu. / Pas de problème. – Thanks for waiting for me. / No problem.
They are both casual and some French speakers, especially older, more conservative types, are not keen on ‘pas de souci‘, which they see as displaying an unacceptable anglophone influence.
READ ALSO: Pas de Souci: Why French language experts are divided over ‘no worries’✎
Je vous en prie (roughly pronounced zhuh voo anh pree)
You can use this in formal contexts with strangers and professional situations.
It’s one of the safest, most polite responses in French and is widely used in customer service settings – when you thank the waiter for bringing your coffee, he is likely to reply Je vous en prie.
There’s always the vous and tu to remember as well, for strangers use vous, but if it’s someone you know, you can also say je t’en prie (zhuh tahn pree).
This is also the one to use in any form of formal, written French, such as a business letter.
The word prie in French means “to pray”, but just like in old-fashioned English it can also mean be used to make a request – eg I pray of you, I beg of you. But Je vous en prie translates as ‘you’re welcome’.
Use it like this: Je vous remercie pour la lettre de recommandation. / Je vous en prie, ce n’est rien. – Thank you for the letter of recommendation. / You’re very welcome, it was nothing.
READ ALSO: What are the rules on using ‘tu’ and ‘vous’ in modern France?
Avec plaisir (roughly pronounced ah-vek pleh-zeer)
This one translates to “with pleasure” in English. It’s quite formal, warm, polite and can be used in a context with strangers. Sometimes, if you call customer service in France to ask for information and you thank the person at the end, they will often say avec plaisir.
But it’s also more than just “you’re welcome” as it suggests you took pleasure in doing someone a favour. You can use it with friends and family.
Use it like this: Merci pour le restaurant. / Avec plaisir ! – Thank you for the meal. / My pleasure.
C’est moi qui vous remercie (roughly pronounced say mwah kee voo ruh-mer-see)
This one translates to “I’m the one who should be thanking you”. It’s considered to be a polite, slightly formal way to respond as it flips the gratitude back onto the other person. It is used in customer service, professional settings, or polite conversations.
Use it like this: Merci de m’avoir raccompagnée. / C’est moi qui vous remercie pour cette soirée. – Thank you for bringing me home. / No, thank YOU for this evening.
