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How to Say ‘Thank you, that's kind.’ in French

Merci, c'est gentil.

mair-see suh eh zhahn-TEE

[mair-see suh eh zhahn-TEE]

🇫🇷 In France: This is the go-to warm reply when someone offers you something or pays you a compliment. It sounds polite without being stiff, so it works well with a partner's parents.

Phrase Breakdown

Merci,

mair-see

Thanks,

Say 'mair-SEE', then take a short pause at the comma.

Example

Merci, au revoir !

Thanks, goodbye!

Words in this phrase

Merci

[mair-see]

thank you

A polite expression of one's gratitude.

Example

Merci pour votre aide.

Thank you for your help.

c'est gentil.

suh eh zhahn-TEE

that's kind.

'Gentil' starts with a soft 'zh' and a nasal 'en', and the final 'l' is silent: 'zhahn-TEE'.

Example

Vous êtes gentil.

You are kind.

Words in this phrase

[suh]

Used to refer to a thing previously mentioned.

Example

C'est incroyable.

It is incredible.

est

[eh]

Third person singular present of be.

Example

C'est important.

It is important.

gentil

[zhahn-TEE]

kind / nice

Describes the other person's words or gesture as thoughtful and pleasant.

Example

Dans « C'est gentil », « gentil » veut dire que le compliment est aimable.

In “C'est gentil,” “gentil” means the compliment is kind.

Guides for French learners

Ordering in French: Cafés, Bakeries and Restaurants (with Menu Vocabulary)How to order in French at a café, a bakery and a restaurant: the phrases, the questions staff ask, and the menu and food vocabulary to understand the answers.Hello in French: Greetings, Good Evening and How to Answer "How Are You?"How to say hello in French, when to switch to good evening, how to ask how are you and what to answer, with tu vs vous and native audio.

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