How to Say You're Welcome in Spanish: 15+ Responses Beyond De Nada

The Short Answer

The most common way to say you're welcome in Spanish is De nada (deh NAH-dah). It works in every Spanish-speaking country and in both formal and casual settings. But unlike English, where "you're welcome" dominates almost every situation, Spanish speakers draw from a rich set of alternatives that vary by region, formality, and personal warmth.

Spanish is spoken by approximately 559 million people across 21 countries, according to Ethnologue's 2024 data. With that geographic spread comes striking differences in how people respond to gracias. A Venezuelan shopkeeper says A la orden, a Costa Rican barista says Con mucho gusto, and a Spaniard among friends says No hay de qué, all meaning "you're welcome," each carrying a distinct cultural flavor. Whether you're looking up "youre welcome in spanish" for travel, study, or conversation, this guide covers everything you need.

"Politeness formulas are never merely linguistic, they encode deep cultural values about obligation, reciprocity, and the social weight of favors."

(Anna Wierzbicka, Cross-Cultural Pragmatics, Mouton de Gruyter)

This guide covers 15+ ways to say you're welcome in Spanish, organized by category: universal, casual, formal, regional, and warm/emphatic. Each expression includes pronunciation, a natural example sentence, and cultural context so you know exactly when and where to use it.

Quick Reference: Spanish "You're Welcome" Phrases at a Glance

Universal Responses

These two expressions work everywhere Spanish is spoken. According to the Real Academia Española (RAE), both have been standard polite responses for centuries and remain the most widely understood options across all 21 countries.

De nada

De nada is the Spanish equivalent of pressing the easy button. It translates literally to "of nothing," a construction that minimizes whatever favor prompted the thanks. This pattern appears across Romance languages (French de rien, Italian di niente, Portuguese de nada), all rooted in the cultural idea that a good deed should be downplayed.

The pronunciation is straightforward: "deh NAH-dah," with stress on the second syllable of nada. It works equally well with strangers, friends, bosses, and grandparents. If you learn only one response to gracias, this is the one.

No hay de qué

While de nada says "it was nothing," no hay de qué says "there's nothing to thank me for." The distinction is subtle but real: no hay de qué carries a slightly warmer, more gracious tone. In a workplace email or when speaking to someone older, this phrase signals an extra layer of politeness without sounding stiff.

Casual Responses

These are the responses you will hear among friends, family, and peers. They carry warmth and informality, making the exchange feel more personal than a standard de nada.

Para eso estamos

This phrase goes beyond politeness into genuine warmth. By saying "that's what we're here for," you signal that helping was never an imposition; it is what friends, family, or good people simply do. You will hear it constantly in everyday Latin American and Spanish conversation.

No es nada

No es nada pushes the minimizing even further than de nada. Where de nada is a reflexive polite response, no es nada is often used when someone thanks you for something substantial and you want to insist it truly was not a big deal.

Ni lo menciones

This is the Spanish version of waving off gratitude with a smile. It literally tells the other person not to even bring it up. The tone is warm and slightly dismissive of the thanks itself, in the best possible way.

Formal and Professional Responses

Essential for business, customer service, and any situation where you want to project professionalism and respect. For more on navigating formal Spanish registers, our Spanish learning hub has interactive exercises that help.

Con mucho gusto

Con mucho gusto flips the script on gratitude. Instead of minimizing the favor ("it was nothing"), it celebrates the act of helping ("it was my pleasure"). This positive framing is why it has become the dominant response in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, and other Central American countries, where cultural values emphasize warmth and hospitality.

The Instituto Cervantes reports that in Costa Rica specifically, con mucho gusto is so ingrained that even automated phone systems use it. A shortened version, con gusto, is equally common throughout Central America.

Es un placer

Es un placer is the go-to in business Spanish. It works in emails, meetings, and professional phone calls. The tone is warm but clearly formal, appropriate for clients, superiors, and first interactions with colleagues.

A su servicio

This phrase positions the speaker as ready and willing to continue helping. It is especially common in the hospitality industry (hotels, restaurants, and upscale retail) across the entire Spanish-speaking world. The formal pronoun su (your, formal) keeps the register high.

Faltaba más

Faltaba más is distinctly Spanish (from Spain) and carries a wonderful energy. It literally suggests that anything less than helping would have been an outrage. The subtext is: "How could I NOT have helped? Of course I did." This emotional emphasis makes it one of the most characterful responses in all of Spanish.

Regional Favorites

With 21 countries spanning the Americas and Europe, Spanish has developed fascinating regional preferences for responding to gracias. Using the local variant instantly signals cultural awareness to native speakers.

A la orden

In Venezuela and Colombia, a la orden is so common that it has largely replaced de nada in everyday conversation. You will hear it from taxi drivers, shopkeepers, coworkers, and neighbors. It literally means "at your command," expressing that the speaker remains available and willing to help again. Research by the Instituto Cervantes on Latin American dialectal variation highlights this phrase as one of the clearest regional markers in Spanish.

Con gusto

While con mucho gusto is the full form, Central Americans frequently shorten it to con gusto. The meaning is identical. In Costa Rica particularly, studies on Tico Spanish confirm that con gusto is used more frequently than de nada in all registers, from street vendors to corporate offices.

Para servirle

Para servirle is traditional and respectful. It is especially common in Mexico, where formality and deference remain deeply valued in daily interactions. The phrase positions the speaker as someone whose purpose is to serve, a powerful expression of humility and graciousness.

Warm and Emphatic Responses

These phrases go beyond routine politeness. They convey genuine feeling and are used when you want the other person to know their thanks is not just acknowledged but deeply appreciated.

No hay por qué

No hay por qué is a close cousin of no hay de qué, but with a subtle difference: it focuses on the reason for thanks rather than the thing being thanked for. The implication is that the speaker's action was so natural that gratitude itself is unnecessary.

No te preocupes

This phrase works double duty: it dismisses the thanks and reassures the person that their request caused no trouble. It is particularly useful when someone thanks you while also apologizing for the inconvenience, a common scenario in everyday life.

Regional Preferences at a Glance

When to Use Each Response

Practice With Real Spanish Content

Understanding how these phrases work on paper is a strong start, but hearing them in natural conversations is what makes them stick. Spanish-language shows are filled with gratitude exchanges: La Casa de Papel for casual Spain Spanish, Club de Cuervos for Mexican interactions, and Narcos for Colombian expressions like a la orden.

Wordy lets you watch Spanish movies and shows with interactive subtitles. You can tap on any phrase (including de nada, con mucho gusto, and a la orden) to see its meaning, pronunciation, and cultural context in real time. Instead of memorizing responses in isolation, you absorb them from authentic conversations with native intonation and natural pacing.

For more Spanish content, explore our blog for guides on everything from the best movies to learn Spanish to greetings and goodbyes. You can also visit our Spanish learning page to start practicing today.