Take the fastest path to fluent French
In French, to express thank you for, you will use merci followed by either de or pour.
Using "merci de" or "merci pour" in French
Here are the different cases:
Merci de/pour [quelque chose] = Thank you for [something]
To express thank you for + [noun], you can use either merci de or merci pour + [nom], although:
- either de or pour is colloquial with abstract nouns (votre compréhension, patience, gentillesse...), with merci de being a bit more elegant.
- merci pour is the one you use with actual things (le cadeau, la carte...)
- merci pour is the one you use with actual things (le cadeau, la carte...)
By the way, the expression Merci du cadeau ! is sarcastic in French = What a gift! / Talk about a gift!
Merci de [faire quelque chose] = Please [do something] / Thank you for [doing something]
In French, you can use merci de + [infinitif] to express Please + [do something] in a formal/professional context.
After a preposition (here de), ne pas both come before the infinitive.
ATTENTION :
To express Thank you for + [do-ing] - when you're thanking the person for an action already done - you will use Merci de + [Infinitif Passé] :
Case of remercier (to thank)
Note that all the above cases also apply to the use of the verb remercier (to thank), as you can see in the examples below:
Want to make sure your French sounds confident? We’ll map your knowledge and give you free lessons to focus on your gaps and mistakes. Start your Brainmap today »
