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How to Say ‘That's kind of you to ask.’ in French

C'est gentil de demander.

suh eh zhahn-tee duh duh-mahn-DAY

[suh eh zhahn-tee duh duh-mahn-DAY]

🇫🇷 In France: A gracious cushion before an answer, often before a polite 'but'. Hearing it doesn't mean yes yet.

Phrase Breakdown

C'est gentil

suh eh zhahn-tee

It's kind

This is a common way to thank someone. The 'g' in 'gentil' is soft, like the 's' in 'measure', and the final 'l' is silent.

Example

C'est gentil, merci.

That's kind, thank you.

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

Adjective used to describe someone as kind or nice.

Example

Après une aide, je peux dire : « C'est gentil ».

After some help, I can say: “That's kind.”

de demander.

duh duh-mahn-DAY

of you to ask.

'De' plus an infinitive gives the reason. The 'er' ending sounds like 'é'.

Example

Merci de demander.

Thanks for asking.

Words in this phrase

[duh]

A preposition indicating direction.

Example

Il vient de Paris.

He comes from Paris.

demander

[duh-mahn-DAY]

to ask

Infinitive verb meaning to ask or request.

Example

Tu peux demander l'addition ?

Can you ask for the bill?

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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