How to Say You're Welcome in French: 12 Responses Beyond 'De Rien'

The Short Answer

The most casual way to say you're welcome in French is de rien (duh ree-EN), and the most formal way is je vous en prie (zhuh vooz on PREE). Between these two anchors, French offers roughly a dozen nuanced responses to merci, each calibrated to a specific social register.

French is spoken by approximately 321 million people across 29 countries, according to the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie's 2022 report. With that geographic reach (from Paris bistros to Montreal cafés to Dakar markets), the way people respond to "thank you" varies significantly by region, formality, and personal style. Whether you're looking up "youre welcome in french" for travel, study, or conversation, this guide covers everything you need.

"Politeness strategies are not merely linguistic decorations; they are fundamental tools for managing social relationships and face in every culture."

(Penelope Brown & Stephen Levinson, Politeness: Some Universals in Language Usage, Cambridge University Press)

This guide covers 12 essential ways to say you're welcome in French, organized by formality level: casual, polite, formal, and the fascinating Quebec variation. Each entry includes pronunciation, a real-world example, and cultural context so you know exactly when to use it.

Quick Reference: French "You're Welcome" at a Glance

Casual Responses

These are the everyday responses you will hear most often among friends, coworkers, and in relaxed settings. According to the CNRTL, de rien has been the dominant casual response in French since at least the 19th century.

De rien

De rien literally means "of nothing," and it functions exactly like Spanish de nada or English "it's nothing." The phrase minimizes the favor -- a universal politeness strategy that Brown & Levinson identify as "negative face management," where the speaker downplays the cost of their action to make the thanker feel comfortable.

Two syllables, universally understood, impossible to get wrong. If you learn only one response to merci, make it this one.

Il n'y a pas de quoi

This is the long, complete version of the minimization pattern. It translates literally to "there is nothing to [thank me] for," an elegant way of saying the favor was so small it doesn't deserve acknowledgment. The Académie française notes this construction as a classic example of French litotes, the rhetorical device of expressing something by denying its opposite.

In practice, most speakers shorten this. You will hear the abbreviated versions far more often.

Pas de quoi

This is the workhorse abbreviation: the il n'y a is dropped entirely. It is casual enough for friends but polished enough that you could use it with a shopkeeper or a colleague without sounding too informal.

Y'a pas de quoi

This is how the phrase actually sounds in fast, natural speech. The contraction y'a (from il y a) is ubiquitous in spoken French, and you will hear it in virtually every French film and TV show. It is too informal for writing or professional contexts but perfect among friends.

Polite Responses

These work in most social situations where you want to sound courteous without being overly formal. The tu/vous distinction is critical here -- it is one of the defining features of French politeness.

Je vous en prie

Je vous en prie is the Swiss Army knife of French politeness. As a response to merci, it means "you're welcome." But in other contexts, it can mean "please," "go ahead," or "after you." Hold a door for someone? Je vous en prie. Offer someone a seat? Je vous en prie. The CNRTL traces this dual function back to the verb prier (to pray, to beg), which historically carried both the meaning of requesting and of graciously conceding.

This is the phrase you want in professional meetings, when speaking with someone older, or in any situation where de rien would feel too casual. According to Ethnologue's 2024 data, the vous/tu distinction remains one of the most socially significant features of French across all 29 Francophone countries.

Je t'en prie

The only difference between je vous en prie and je t'en prie is the pronoun: vous (formal/plural) versus te/t' (informal/singular). The meaning is identical. Use je t'en prie with people you address as tu -- friends, family, children, and close colleagues.

This phrase hits a sweet spot: it is warmer and more personal than de rien but without the stiffness of the vous form. Many French speakers use it to signal genuine care -- "I really mean it, you're welcome."

Formal and Elegant Responses

These expressions are for situations that call for particular grace: business settings, ceremonial occasions, or when you want to genuinely reciprocate warmth rather than just deflect thanks.

C'est moi qui vous remercie

Instead of minimizing the favor (like de rien), this phrase flips the gratitude entirely. You are saying "No, I should be thanking you." It is a classic French conversational move: elevating the exchange into a mutual appreciation.

You will hear this frequently in professional settings after meetings, presentations, or any collaborative effort. It can also be shortened to the tu form: C'est moi qui te remercie.

Tout le plaisir est pour moi

The French equivalent of "the pleasure is all mine." This works beautifully at dinner parties, after a pleasant meeting, or when someone thanks you for your company. It conveys genuine warmth while maintaining elegance.

A shorter version (tout le plaisir or simply avec plaisir, with pleasure) works well when you want the sentiment without the full sentence.

À votre service

This is the phrase of choice in hospitality, luxury retail, and high-end customer service. A concierge at a Parisian hotel, a sommelier in a fine restaurant, or a personal banker would all reach for à votre service.

In everyday conversation, it can sound slightly theatrical unless used with a touch of humor. Among friends, saying à votre service with a playful tone works well -- it signals "I'm happy to help" with a wink.

C'est tout naturel

This is a quintessentially French response. Rather than minimizing the favor (de rien) or deflecting the thanks (c'est moi qui vous remercie), it frames the help as something so obvious it didn't require a decision. Of course you helped -- it was the natural thing to do. You will also hear the variant c'est normal, which carries the same meaning with even less ceremony.

Quebec French: A Unique Case

Quebec French has developed its own distinctive vocabulary over four centuries of separation from European French. Nowhere is this more surprising than in how Quebecers say "you're welcome."

Bienvenue

This is perhaps the single most surprising difference between Quebec French and European French. In Quebec, bienvenue is the standard, everyday response to merci -- exactly like "you're welcome" in English. In France, saying bienvenue after someone thanks you would be met with confusion, because bienvenue in European French only means "welcome" as a greeting (like welcoming someone into your home).

Linguists identify this as a calque -- a direct structural translation from English "you're welcome" into French. Given Quebec's centuries of contact with English-speaking Canada, this borrowing pattern is well-documented by the OIF.

When to Use Each Expression

Choosing the right response depends on the situation. Here is a practical guide:

How to Respond When Someone Says "You're Welcome"

In French, the exchange usually ends after "you're welcome." But here are natural follow-ups if the conversation continues:

Practice With Real French Content

Reading about these phrases gives you the foundation, but hearing them spoken naturally by native speakers is what makes them stick. French cinema and television provide some of the best listening material in the world -- from the formal exchanges in period dramas to the rapid casual speech in contemporary comedies.

Wordy lets you watch French movies and shows with interactive subtitles. When you hear a character respond to merci with je vous en prie or de rien, you can tap the phrase to see its meaning, pronunciation, and the exact formality level in real time. Instead of memorizing phrases from a list, you absorb them from real conversations with authentic intonation.

For movie recommendations tailored to French learners, check out our guide to the best movies to learn French. And for more French language guides, explore our blog or visit our French learning page to start practicing today.