Whilst this version is not a direct translation of “you’re welcome” in French, it is still very common in France when responding to somebody who has expressed gratitude. The literal translation of ‘pas de problème’ Be cautious of the French grave accent on the ‘e’ as this alters the pronunciation of the word. The word ‘problème’ in this particular French expression resembles the English word ‘problem’ and should not be too difficult for you to learn. When you’re in the early stages of learning French, sometimes the most sensible thing to do is use what you can remember. “Southern France, Toulouse” by DAT VO© 4. They use the formal ‘vous’ as they do not know each other. Notice that in the example above, our speakers are clearly in a shop. The important thing to remember here is not the literal translation, but when exactly you should use ‘vous’ instead of ‘tu’.Ī: Souhaitez-vous un sac avec vos achats ? (“Would you like a bag with your shopping?”) The literal translation of ‘je vous en prie’Īgain, the literal translation of ‘je vous en prie’ is ‘I pray you it’. Likewise, always use this version of you’re welcome in French if you are speaking with somebody you do not know, no matter their level of seniority. Using ‘vous’ will sound unnatural if you are in close company. Just be careful not to use it with close friends. This should make ‘je vous en prie’ nice and easy to remember. Instead of using the informal you – ‘tu’ – we use the formal counterpart – ‘vous’. The only thing that’s changed is the personal pronoun. You’ll notice that this particular way to say ‘you’re welcome’ in French is very similar to the previous example. The formal “you’re welcome”: je vous en prie Don’t look too far into this – it certainly doesn’t translate as such to French speakers!Ī: Manon, merci d’avoir payé mon loyer cette semaine ! (“Manon, thank you for paying my rent this week!”)ī: Je t’en prie ! (“You’re welcome!”) 3. The literal translation of ‘je t’en prie’Įssentially, the literal translation of ‘je t’en prie’ is ‘I pray you it’. This particular form is most appropriate when you want to express a higher level of gratitude than ‘de rien’, but with somebody close to you, with whom your relationship is casual. It is most common amongst very close friends and family members. Like ‘de rien’, which is certainly the most casual way to say you’re welcome in French, ‘ je t’en prie’ is another informal way to respond to someone who expressed their gratitude towards you. The informal “you’re welcome”: je t’en prie (“You’re welcome.”) “Strasbourg, France” by Patrick Robert Doyle© 2. It is most commonly used as a response to a basic courtesy or a small act of kindness from a close friend, family member or colleague.Ī: Tu as un très bel appartement ! (“You have a really beautiful apartment!”)ī: C’est gentil, merci ! (“That’s kind, thank you!”)Ī: De rien. In English, we’d likely say ‘no problem’ or ‘don’t worry about it.’ The literal translation of ‘ de rien’ is ‘of nothing’. Whilst it’s important not to think too much about the literal translation of phrases from French into English, it can help us remember how and when to use them. You’ll hear this expression used commonly throughout France in a range of situations. You can use ‘ de rien’ as an informal response to somebody who has thanked you. We’ll start with the most common way to say you’re welcome in French: ‘ de rien’. The most common “you’re welcome”: de rien As a result, you’ll be familiar with what they mean, when to use them and what the key differences between them actually are. In this quick French lesson, we’ll take you through the four most popular examples – the only ones you actually need in real life. It all depends on the context, who you are talking to and how well you know that person. In fact, there are several ways to say you’re welcome in French. This is due, in large part, to the varying degrees of formality in the French language. However, expressing your gratitude in French is a bit more nuanced than you may expect. After all, there’s only one common way to say this in English. If you’re an English speaker learning French, you’d be forgiven for expecting a simple phrase such as “you’re welcome” to be easily translatable. But what’s the best way to respond to that depending on the social context? How do you say you’re welcome in French? You probably already know that merci, merci beaucoup and je vous remercie are the most popular informal and formal ways to say thank you in French.
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