In most cultures, it is custom to express gratitude in some way or another. The dictionary defines gratitude as follows: it is “the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness”. Giving a sincere, thankful response to someone’s actions or words is often the ‘glue’ that keeps relationships together. This is true in most societies! Doing so in a foreign country also shows your respect and appreciation for the culture. Words have great power – use these ones sincerely and often!
Table of Contents
- 12 Ways to say ‘Thank you’ in French
- Video Lesson: Learn to Say ‘Thank You’ in 3 Minutes
- Infographic & Audio Lesson: Survival Phrases – Thank You
- Video Lesson: ‘Thank You’ in 31 Languages
- How FrenchPod101 Can Help You
So, how do you say ‘Thank you’ in French? You can learn easily! Below, FrenchPod101 brings you perfect translations and pronunciation as you learn the most common ways French speakers say ‘Thanks’ in various situations.
1. 12 Ways to say ‘Thank you’ in French
1- Thank you.
Merci !
The magical words that can bring a smile to any face. For one day, truly mean it whenever you say these words, and see how this lifts your spirit too!
2- That’s very kind of you.
C’est très gentil à vous/ à toi.
This phrase is appropriate when someone clearly goes out of their way to give good service, or to offer you a kindness.
3- Thanks for your kind words!
Merci pour ces gentilles paroles!
Someone paid you a compliment and made you feel good? That is kind of him/her, so express your gratitude!
4- Thank you for coming today.
Je vous remercie d’être venu(e)s aujourd’hui.
This welcoming phrase should be part of your arsenal if you’re conducting more formal meetings with French speakers. If you’re hosting a party, this is also a good phrase when you greet your French guests!
5- Thank you for your consideration.
Merci pour votre considération.
This is a more formal, almost solemn way to thank someone for their thoughtfulness and sensitivity towards you. It is also suitable to use when a native speaker has to consider something you submit, like a job application, a project or a proposal. You are thanking them, in essence, for time and effort they are about to, or have spent on your submission.
6- Thanks a lot!
Merci beaucoup!
This means the same as ‘Thank you’, but with energy and enthusiasm added! It means almost the same as ‘thank you so much’ in French. Use this in an informal setting with your French friends or teachers.
7- Teachers like you are not easy to find.
Les enseignants comme vous ne sont pas faciles à trouver.
Some phrases are compliments, which express gratitude by inference. This is one of them. If you’re particularly impressed with your FrenchPod101 teacher, this is an excellent phrase to memorize!
8- Thank you for spending time with us.
Merci de passer du temps avec nous.
Any host at a gathering with French speakers, such as a meeting or a party, should have this under his/her belt! Use it when you’re saying goodbye or busy closing a meeting. It could also be another lovely way to thank your French language teacher for her time.
9- Thank you for being patient and helping me improve.
Merci d’être patient(e) et de m’aider à m’améliorer.
This phrase is another sure way to melt any formal or informal French teacher’s heart! Teaching is not easy, and often a lot of patience is required from the teacher. Thank him/her for it! It’s also a good phrase to use if you work in France, and want to thank your trainer or employer. You will go a long way towards making yourself a popular employee – gratitude is the most attractive trait in any person!
10- You’re the best teacher ever!
Vous êtes le/la meilleur(e) professeur(e) que je n’ai jamais eu(e)!
This is also an enthusiastic way to thank your teacher by means of a compliment. It could just make their day!
11- Thank you for the gift.
Merci pour le cadeau.
This is a good phrase to remember when you’re the lucky recipient of a gift. Show your respect and gratitude with these words.
12- I have learned so much thanks to you.
J’ai tellement appris grâce à vous.
What a wonderful compliment to give a good teacher! It means they have succeeded in their goal, and you’re thankful for it.
2. Video Lesson: Learn to Say ‘Thank You’ in 3 Minutes
In French, you only need one word for expressing gratitude: merci. And for emphasis, you can say merci beaucoup. In either case, in no situation is merci or merci beaucoup considered inappropriate. You can use them as often as you like without regard for age difference, gender difference, formality, or casualness. However, since there is no other way to express gratitude in speech, we often say merci in a mechanical way. In the Cultural Insight section of this lesson, we will look at two ways in which to make merci more personal.
Cultural Insights
A Little Something Extra Politeness-Wise
As we just mentioned, you can never say merci too much in France. Showing gratitude, especially for newcomers, can be a very successful way to have the French warm up to you. So one way to make merci more personal is to use it generously. For instance, if you ask a question in a shop or restaurant, it is a good idea to make eye contact and say merci or merci beaucoup at the end of the exchange. This is the same when getting off a bus or out of a taxi, after an exchange with a waiter, or really after speaking with anyone. If you make the extra effort to look the person in the eye and say merci, the person will feel acknowledged. It can be refreshing, especially in a culture that can be quite formal and make gratitude somewhat automatic. However, on the flip side, don’t be surprised if you don’t have as many mercis coming back to you-at first.
You can show gratitude with people you don’t know personally by adding the word monsieur or madame at the end. For instance, if someone-say a shopkeeper-helps you and you want to show your appreciation while keeping a distance, say Merci, monsieur (“Thank you, sir”.) for a man and Merci, madame (“Thank you, madam.” ) for a woman. In fact, you can add monsieur or madame at the end of any address to a stranger to make it ring with more politeness and respect.
On the run to France? Wait! You can’t go without some basic language phrases under your belt! Especially if you’re heading to meet your prospective employer! Either in person or online, knowing how to say ‘Thank you’ in the French language will only improve their impression of you! FrenchPod101 saves you time with this short lesson that nevertheless packs a punch. Learn to say ‘Thank you’ in French in no time!
3. Audio Lesson: Survival Phrases – Thank You
Perhaps you think it’s unimportant that you don’t know what ‘Thank you’ is in French, or that it’s too difficult a language to learn. Yet, as a traveler or visitor, you will be surprised at how far you can go using a little bit of French in France!
Click Here to Listen to the Free Audio Lesson!
At FrenchPod101, we offer you a few ways of saying ‘Thank you’ in French that you have no excuse not knowing, as they’re so simple and easy to learn. The lesson is geared to aid your ‘survival’ in formal and informal situations in France, so don’t wait! You will never have to google ‘How do you say thanks in French’ again…!
4. ‘Thank You’ in 31 Languages
For the global traveler in a hurry, here are 31 ways to say ‘Thank you’! These are the first words you need to learn in any foreign language – it is sure to smooth your way with native speakers by showing your gratitude for services rendered, and your respect for their culture! Learn and know how to correctly say ‘Thank you’ in 31 different languages in this short video.
5. Why would FrenchPod101 be the perfect choice to learn French?
However, you need not stop at ‘Thank you’ in French – why not learn to speak the language?! You have absolutely nothing to lose. Research has shown that learning a new language increases intelligence and combats brain-aging. Also, the ability to communicate with native speakers in their own language is an instant way to make friends and win respect! Or imagine you know how to write ‘Thank you’ to that special French friend after a date…he/she will be so impressed!
FrenchPod101 Has Special Lessons, Tools and Resources to Teach You How to Say Thank You and Other Key Phrases
With more than a decade of experience behind us, we have taught thousands of satisfied users to speak foreign languages. How do we do this? First, we take the pain out of learning! At FrenchPod101, students are assisted as they master vocabulary, pronunciation, and conversation through state-of-the-art and fun online learning methods. A library replete with learning resources allows for you to learn at your own pace and in your own space! Resources include thousands of video and audio recordings, downloadable PDF lessons and plenty of learning apps for your mobile devices. Each month, we add benefits with FREE bonuses and gifts to improve your experience.
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