In French, to express thank you for, you will use merci followed by either de or pour.
Here are the different cases:
Merci de/pour [quelque chose] = Thank you for [something]
Merci pour votre compréhension.
Thank you for your understanding.
Merci de votre compréhension.
Thank you for your understanding.
To express thank you for + [noun], you can use either merci de or merci pour + [nom], although:
- 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.
Merci d'écouter ce qui suit.
Please listen to what follows.
J'ai vraiment du mal, merci de m'aider.
I'm really struggling, please help me.
Merci de ne pas parler pendant la présentation.
Please do not speak during the presentation.
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] :
C'était très difficile, merci de m'avoir aidée.
It was very hard, thanks for helping me.
Mes amis, merci à tous d'être venus.
My friends, thank you all for coming.
Sarah, merci d'être venue.
Sarah, thanks for coming.
Paul, merci d'être venu.
Paul, thanks for coming.
Merci d'avoir fait ce gâteau, il était délicieux.
Thanks for making this cake, it was delicious.
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
Mes amis, merci à tous d'être venus.
My friends, thank you all for coming.
Merci pour votre compréhension.
Thank you for your understanding.
Merci d'écouter ce qui suit.
Please listen to what follows.
Paul, merci d'être venu.
Paul, thanks for coming.
Merci d'avoir fait ce gâteau, il était délicieux.
Thanks for making this cake, it was delicious.
Merci pour le repas.
Thank you for the meal.
Merci de ne pas parler pendant la présentation.
Please do not speak during the presentation.
C'était très difficile, merci de m'avoir aidée.
It was very hard, thanks for helping me.
Merci pour le cadeau.
Thank you for the gift.
J'ai vraiment du mal, merci de m'aider.
I'm really struggling, please help me.
Sarah, merci d'être venue.
Sarah, thanks for coming.
Merci de votre compréhension.
Thank you for your understanding.
Merci de patienter.
Please wait.
Q&A
David
Kwiziq community member
25 July 2018
2 replies
Thanks for coming
The quiz says: ____ les gars! Thanks for coming guys!
The answer is Merci d'etre venus
This is clearly correct in the usual situation where the guys have come and are being thanked for it.
But suppose that the guys had promised to come and were being thanked in advance for it? The same English sentence would work for that situation, even if it would be more explicit if we said "Thanks for agreeing to come, guys". How would the French look in that case?
Cécile
Kwiziq language super star
25/07/18
Hi David,
You could say:
"Merci de venir à l'heure les gars! = "Please come on time guys!"
David
Kwiziq community member
25/07/18
That is not quite the same meaning. It has turned a thankyou into a please that even implies doubt as to whether the guys will be on time without a reminder.
I suppose that this would be nearest to the meaning I wanted: "Merci d'avoir accepté de venir, les gars" but all of this assumes that the straightfoward "Merci de venir les gars" is not correct usage. Is that so?
Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
16/11/17
Yes indeed, however note that negation after a preposition will come as follows:
Thanks to you, I've now added this case to the lesson :)
À bientôt !
Brittany
Kwiziq community member
5/12/17
Tom
Kwiziq community member
13 August 2018
4 replies
Colloquial vs formal
The lesson states " either de or pour is colloquial with abstract nouns (votre compréhension, patience, gentillesse...), with merci de being a bit more elegant.
I don't get the sense of this statement.
If both are colloquial then what is the formal way of expressing " Thank you for your understanding".
Chris
Kwiziq community member
14 August 2018
14/08/18
Hi Tom, I guess what that means is that either de or pour are used in spoken French with abstract nouns. The use of pour being more colloquial and de being more elegant/formal.
-- Chris (not a native speaker).
Tom
Kwiziq community member
14 August 2018
14/08/18
Of course I get that.
I'm just pointing out the imprecision of the statement. Colloquial use does not equate with the spoken language but is rather a Register within the spoken language.
As far as I am aware a word or phrase cannot possess the duality of being both colloquial and formal.French speech with pour being colloquial and de being formal.
Perhaps I'm just being obtuse, but as aspiring linguists we should strive for precision in language.
Alan
Kwiziq community member
14 August 2018
14/08/18
Chris
Kwiziq community member
14 August 2018
14/08/18
The English is a bit imprecise. I interpreted as "colloquial" meaning "used in spoken French", irrespective of register.
-- Chris.