How to Say Thank You in French and Reply to Merci

Say thank you in French with merci, merci beaucoup and je vous remercie, then answer with de rien, je vous en prie or avec plaisir. Includes pronunciation and a short dialogue.

Merci and how to make it stronger

Merci is the everyday “thank you.” You say it to shop staff, drivers, servers and strangers, often together with Bonjour at the start and Au revoir at the end.

To make it stronger:

• Merci beaucoup. — “Thank you very much.”
• Merci mille fois. — “Thanks a thousand times,” warm and a little emphatic.
• C'est très gentil. — “That's very kind.” Useful when someone goes out of their way.
• Je vous remercie. — “I thank you,” more formal, common in shops, on the phone and in emails.

Note that it is merci beaucoup, not “merci très beaucoup.” Beaucoup already means “very much.”

How to reply when someone thanks you

• De rien. — “You're welcome,” the most common reply.
• Je vous en prie. — polite and slightly formal; with a friend, je t'en prie.
• Avec plaisir. — “With pleasure,” friendly and warm.
• Pas de quoi. — casual, short for il n'y a pas de quoi.

A short exchange at the lost and found

A: Bonjour, j'ai perdu mon sac à dos. Il est bleu.
“Hello, I lost my backpack. It's blue.”

B: Un sac bleu... celui-ci ?
“A blue bag... this one?”

A: Oui, c'est le mien ! Merci beaucoup, c'est très gentil.
“Yes, it's mine! Thank you very much, that's very kind.”

B: Je vous en prie. Bonne journée !
“You're welcome. Have a good day!”

A: Merci, vous aussi !
“Thanks, you too!”

Pronunciation tips

Merci is not the English word “mercy.” The French r is made at the back of the throat, and the stress falls lightly on the last syllable: “mehr-SEE.” In beaucoup, the p is silent: “boh-KOO.” In je vous en prie, link vous and en with a z sound: “voo-ZAHN pree.” That liaison is expected, not optional.

Formal and informal thanks

Use vous forms such as je vous remercie and je vous en prie with staff, older people and anyone you don't know. Switch to tu forms, such as je t'en prie, or casual merci, c'est sympa (“thanks, that's nice of you”) among friends, only when the relationship is already informal.

Common mistakes

Answering an offer with just merci. If a host asks Encore un peu de café ? and you say only Merci, it can be understood as “No, thank you.” Say Oui, merci or Non, merci to be clear.

Using de nada or no problem. Some French speakers say pas de problème, but de rien is the reliable default.

Pronouncing every letter. Do not say the p in beaucoup or the s in je vous.

Speaking practice

Say three levels of thanks: merci, merci beaucoup, je vous remercie. Then switch roles and reply to each one with de rien, je vous en prie, or avec plaisir. Practice the liaison in je vous en prie until it sounds like one word group.

When thanks becomes an apology or a request, read how to say excuse me in French.

Try speaking practice with feedback at Saystep. You can also practice this article's dialogue on your own, without an app.