French · Greetings & Essentials

"Thank you very much" in French: merci beaucoup

merci beaucoup

Say it: mair-SEE boh-KOOphrase/mɛʁ.si bo.ku/

Thank you very much in French is merci beaucoup. It strengthens plain merci. Merci infiniment or un grand merci add even more warmth.

Receiving a gift

Merci beaucoup, c'est trop gentil.
Thank you very much; that's so kind.
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How to pronounce merci beaucoup

Say it

mair-SEE boh-KOO

/mɛʁ.si bo.ku/

Mair-SEE boh-KOO. Soft s in merci, ou like oo. Keep both words clear.

"Thank you very much" in French: quick reference

FrenchEnglish
merci beaucoupthank you very much

Standard strong thanks.

merci infinimentthank you so much

Warmer.

un grand mercimany thanks

Written or spoken.

merci mille foisthanks a thousand times

Emphatic.

How to use merci beaucoup in real life

  1. 1Receiving a gift

    Merci beaucoup, c'est trop gentil.

    Thank you very much; that's so kind.

    Full phrase.

  2. 2After help with bags

    Merci beaucoup pour ton aide.

    Thank you very much for your help.

    Merci beaucoup pour…

  3. 3Email closing

    Merci beaucoup d'avance pour votre réponse.

    Thank you very much in advance for your reply.

    Formal email; vous is in the headword context of courtesy, but phrase is merci beaucoup.

Mistakes English speakers make with merci beaucoup

Incorrect: Beaucoup merci.

Correct: Merci beaucoup.

Order is merci beaucoup, not beaucoup merci.

Incorrect: Merci très beaucoup.

Correct: Merci beaucoup. / Merci infiniment.

Don't add très before beaucoup here.

Good to know

French thanks can stack : merci beaucoup, bonne journée. In shops, merci beaucoup after change is handed over keeps the exchange warm.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

A friend drops off a borrowed charger

  1. ChatPal

    Tiens, ton chargeur. Merci beaucoup de l'avoir prêté.

    Here's your charger. Thank you very much for lending it.

  2. You

    De rien. Merci beaucoup d'être passé.

    You're welcome. Thank you very much for coming by.

  3. ChatPal

    Avec plaisir. À demain.

    Gladly. See you tomorrow.

  4. You

    À demain !

    See you tomorrow!

This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.

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"Thank you very much" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Thank you very much" in French

Is merci beaucoup too formal?

No. It works with friends and strangers.

What is stronger than merci beaucoup?

Merci infiniment or un grand merci.

Can I write mci bcp?

In texts yes; write merci beaucoup in full otherwise.

How do you pronounce merci beaucoup?

Mair-SEE boh-KOO.

Learn a word, then use it out loud

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  4. Step 4: Use it in real scenarios

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