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Writer's pictureParisian Niche

A Heartfelt Merci!


image: merci.us

For my mom, who sacrificed everything so that her children should want for nothing - merci maman, obrigada mamãe, je t'aime!


We've previously touched on the importance of the word bonjour. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I wanted to pass along a heartfelt thanks to you for joining P'Niche on this blog adventure, a true love letter to Paris, inspired by you, my dear friends, far and wide. So with MY true thanks to you, let's have a quick peek at the very many ways to say thank you... MERCI...


image: istock.com

We can thank our friends, the Romans, for the word merci where it is rooted in its original meaning, which was "wages."


As we move forward to medieval times, a "grand merci" came to mean a great favor someone had bestowed upon you. Soon it was shortened to our simpler form of thanks for the favor, "merci."


The french inifinitive of the verb is remercier, or to "to thank".



image: connexionfrance.com

To properly pronounce our lovely word of thanks, it is mehr-SEE.


You can hear several native French speakers stating the word here in this clip.


Don't be shy to listen many times and practice alone - practice makes perfect and your good manners may make you a French friend or two!


image: shutterstock.com

Ok let's get to it - some of the various ways to thanks someone en français.


Merci - Classic and can't go wrong - "Thank You."


Merci Beaucoup

mehr-see boh-COO

Thank you very much



image: vecteezy.com

Easy Breezy, right? Let's keep going...


Merci Madame

mehr-SEE mah-DAMM

Thank you miss / madame


Merci Monsieur

mehr-SEE muh-syuh

Thank you sir


Merci à tous

mehr-SEE ah toos

Thank you all




image: www.chu-montpellier.fr

Remember the verb form we saw above for giving thanks? Great!


Je vous remercie (formal)

zhuh voo ruh-mehr-SEE

I thank you


Je te remercie (informal)

zhuh tuh ruh-mehr-SEE

I thank you



image: freepik.com

Avec tous mes remerciements

avez too mayh ruh-mehr-see-uh-mehn

With all my thanks


Remerciez-le (la) de ma part

Ruh-merh-see-ay luh (lah) duh mah par

Thank him (her) for me




image: merci-facteur.com

Merci mille fois

mehr-see meel FWAH

Thanks a thousand times


Mille mercis

Meel mehr-SEE

A thousand thanks


Merci infiniment

mehr-see een-feen-ih-mehn

Thanks a million



image: independenthinker.tumblr.com

C'est vraiment gentil de votre part

Seh vray-mehn zhahn-TEE duh vuh-truh PAR

That is so kind of you


Merci du fond du coeur

mehr-SEE doo fohn doo kehr

Thank you from the bottom of my heart


Comment vous remercier?

kuh-muhn voo ruh-mehr-see-ay?

How can I thank you?


Merci pour tout!

mehr-see poor toot!

Thanks for everything!


Merci Bien

mehr-see bee-yehn

Thanks well (meaning thanks a lot)



image: rosemood.fr

Merci d'avance

mehr-see dah-vahn-suh

Thanks in advance (for when someone will do you a favor soon)


Je suis très reconnaissant(e)

zhuh swee treh ruh-cohn-nay-sahn(tuh)

I am very grateful for you


Merci pour ... les fleurs

mehr-see poor ... lay fleuhr

Thank you for ... the flowers


Merci de m'avoir aidé

mehr-see duh m'ah-vwahr ay-day

Thanks for helping me



Trying to land that dream French job? (Yeah, me too!). You'll need to sign off your notes with something like this:


Je vous prie de recevoir l'expression de mes salutations distinguées.


Very fancy pants way to say, "thanks for reading my letter, boss, all respect to ya!"




image: shutterstock.com

How do "cool kids" say thanks?!


Mci - thank you (via text message)


Ci-Mer - thank you in Verlan slang (when words are cut in half with the last syllable put first). Merci becomes Ci-Mer.



So that's that, P'Nichers, over 20 ways to say thank you (and trust me, there are hundreds more!) . Thanks again (merci encore) for joining me on this Parisian adventure et à bientôt!


image: posterton.eu
2 comments

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2 Comments


Phyllis Cartwright
Phyllis Cartwright
Nov 28, 2022

What can I say except merci Christina!

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chrissy
Nov 30, 2022
Replying to

merci a toi, mon amie! 😘

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