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:
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Learn more about these related French grammar topics
- Préposition
- Slang/Expression/Highly Idiomatic
- Infinitif passé
