French word of the Day: De rien v Je vous en prie
Your language classes probably only mentioned De rien, but you'll also hear Je vous en prie a lot in France.
It's often the case in French that you'll find several words that mean basically the same thing, and it's not always easy to know which one is appropriate. Our new mini series looks at some of the most common word pairs, and sorts out which should be used and when.
Why do I need to know the difference between De rien and Je vous en prie?
Because most language classes will only teach you De rien, but you'll hear Je vous en prie quite a lot in France.
What is the difference?
Je vous en prie literally means 'I am at your service', but in reality both of these phrases mean 'you're welcome' and are used as a response when someone has thanked you.
The difference is in the formality - as indicated by the 'vous', Je vous en prie is the more formal way of saying 'you're welcome'.
It's most commonly used by people in the service industry - when you thank your server for bringing your coffee, they will likely reply Je vous en prie, or maybe Je vous en prie Madame/Monsieur if you're in a particularly formal establishment (or if you're just giving off especially fabulous vibes).
De rien was traditionally a more working class response - these days it's widely used, and if you're in any kind of informal situation with friends, colleagues, family or neighbours then De rien will be used.
That said, the difference is quite small between these phrases, and in most cases they are completely interchangeable.
Examples
Merci, le repas était délicieux/ Je vous en prie - Thank you, the meal was delicious / You're welcome.
Merci pour ton aide. / De rien - Thanks for your help / You're welcome.
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It's often the case in French that you'll find several words that mean basically the same thing, and it's not always easy to know which one is appropriate. Our new mini series looks at some of the most common word pairs, and sorts out which should be used and when.
Why do I need to know the difference between De rien and Je vous en prie?
Because most language classes will only teach you De rien, but you'll hear Je vous en prie quite a lot in France.
What is the difference?
Je vous en prie literally means 'I am at your service', but in reality both of these phrases mean 'you're welcome' and are used as a response when someone has thanked you.
The difference is in the formality - as indicated by the 'vous', Je vous en prie is the more formal way of saying 'you're welcome'.
It's most commonly used by people in the service industry - when you thank your server for bringing your coffee, they will likely reply Je vous en prie, or maybe Je vous en prie Madame/Monsieur if you're in a particularly formal establishment (or if you're just giving off especially fabulous vibes).
De rien was traditionally a more working class response - these days it's widely used, and if you're in any kind of informal situation with friends, colleagues, family or neighbours then De rien will be used.
That said, the difference is quite small between these phrases, and in most cases they are completely interchangeable.
Examples
Merci, le repas était délicieux/ Je vous en prie - Thank you, the meal was delicious / You're welcome.
Merci pour ton aide. / De rien - Thanks for your help / You're welcome.
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