How do you say you’re welcome in French?
You’re welcome in French is “de rien” (pronounced də ʀjɛ̃). The literal meaning of de rien is “of nothing”. Use this phrase after somebody says, “Merci”. In addition to de rien, this post will explore seven more common expressions for you’re welcome.
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How to pronounce “de rien”
Before we do any further, let’s have a look at the correct pronunciation for de rien. The word “de” (pronunciation symbol: də) rhymes with the word “je” and sounds more or less like “duh”.
The word “rien”, which literally means nothing, is pronounced “ree + nasal ɛ̃”. This is the same nasal sound as in “in” in “inviter” (to invite). My friend Camille at Frenchtoday.com does a great job teaching the French nasal sounds in this post.
This page on Forvo offers some excellent audio samples of de rien. In the following video, Vincent, a star French teacher on YouTube, shows how to pronounce “de rien”.
When to use “de rien” to say you’re welcome in French
The following two example sentences show how to use “de rien” in conversation. You use “de rien” in the exact same way that you’d use “you’re welcome” in English.
- Je vous remercie d’être venu. Thanks for coming. – De rien. You’re welcome.
- Passe-moi le sel s’il te plaît. Pass me the salt please. – Merci. Thank you. -De rien. You’re welcome.
7 more ways to say you’re welcome in French
In addition to “de rien”, there are several other way to say you’re welcome in French.
1) Je vous en prie
“Je vous en prie” is an expression that translates to “you’re welcome” or “no worries”. You can use in the place of “de rien”. You can also use the expression “je vous en prie” when opening the door for somebody of showing the way to a table, for example.
In informal situations, “Je vous en prie” becomes “Je t’en prie”.
2) Pas de problème
“Pas de problème” translates to “no problem”. This way of saying you’re welcome is informal, just as it is in English. Note that in French you cannot say “Non problème” and must say “pas de problème”. This page on our site explores seven common ways to say no problem in French.
3) Il n’y a pas de quoi
“Il n’y a pas de quoi“ is an other expression used for “you’re welcome”. The expression translates literally to “there is of no what” and translates loosely to the English expression, “Don’t mention it”. A shortened verion of “Il n’y a pas de quoi” is simply: “Pas de quoi”.
4) Ça ne fait rien
Another expression for “you’re welcome” is “ça ne fait rien”, which translates literally to “that makes nothing” and really means “don’t mention it”, “that’s ok” and “that’s alright”. In general, “ça ne fait rien” should be used in less formal situations.
5) C’est moi qui vous remercie
The expression “c’est moi qui vous remercie” is something you can use when you want also offer thanks rather than simply saying you’re welcome. The literal translation of “c’est moi qui vous remercie” is “I’m the one who thanks you”. This expression is very similar to “Oh, no. Thank you!” in English.
6) Avec plaisir
The expression “avec plaisir” can be used to say “you’re welcome” and equates to “my pleasure” in English. Using this expression suggests a positive attitude in response to “merci!” (thank you).
7) Bienvenue
In French-speaking Canada, the word “bienvenue” can be used interchangeably with “de rien” for you’re welcome. The meaning of “bienvenue” is welcome.
In Canada, you can also say “Vous êtes le/la bienvenu(e) to express “you’re welcome” in formal situations.
In Europe, bienvenue only used in the context of welcoming a person. For example, “Bienvenue chez nous!” (welcome to our home!). This page on our site covers ten common ways to say welcome in French.
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About David Issokson
Bonjour! My name is David Issokson. I'm based in Victor, Idaho (near Jackson, Wyoming) and have helped hundreds of students to learn French online since 2013.
