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Lesson 233 of 240

New here? This is lesson 233 of a free 240-lesson French course.

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Say thanks properly in French

The audio guide has shipped. Sam sits at Café des Tilleuls with his laptop, rewriting a thank-you mail to Claire.

Odile keeps the coffee coming. Gaspard sits at the next table, café crème untouched as usual.

By the end, you'll open a formal note, thank someone warmly, and close it with kind regards.

Keep Merci for the counter. This lesson is written vous, the kind you send a manager.

By the end of this lesson

Write a formal thanks and a farewell note.

  • Je tenais à vous remercier chaleureusement.I wanted to thank you warmly.
  • Cette année à Paris m'a beaucoup apporté.This year in Paris has given me a lot.
  • Merci pour votre patience, vraiment.Thank you for your patience, really.
  • Ce fut un plaisir de travailler avec vous.It was a pleasure working with you.
  • Je reste à votre disposition si besoin.I'm still here if you need anything.
  • Bien à vous, et encore merci.Kind regards, and thank you again.

Scene — three drafts

Sam is at a round marble table with his laptop open. The guide has shipped, and he owes Claire a proper thank-you.

Odile watches from the zinc counter. Gaspard occupies two chairs at the next table, croissant in reach, café crème still full.

The window table stays empty under its blank brass sign.

Sam sits at a round marble table with an open laptop while Odile watches from the zinc counter and Gaspard occupies neighboring chairs at the next table, the window table left empty.

Learn — a thank-you mail

Six lines for a thank-you mail: a warm opening, a look back at the year, patience, pleasure, and a formal close.

You'll keep vous throughout, even if you already use tu with Claire in the office.

  1. Sam's hands type on the open laptop at the round marble table, pausing over a careful thank-you.

    Je tenais à vous remercier chaleureusement.

    I wanted to thank you warmly.

    When to use it: Open a thank-you mail to a manager or someone you still write to with vous.

    Je tenais à + infinitive is a common opening for a formal thank-you.

    Say it: The final s in vous is silent before remercier.

  2. Sam turns in profile toward the café window in morning light, pausing beside the open laptop.

    Cette année à Paris m'a beaucoup apporté.

    This year in Paris has given me a lot.

    When to use it: Use this in a note when you look back on the year in Paris.

    M'a is me plus a, and cette année is feminine because année is feminine.

    Say it: M'a is the elision of me a.

  3. Over Sam's shoulder, Sam leans toward the open laptop in an earnest, patient posture.

    Merci pour votre patience, vraiment.

    Thank you for your patience, really.

    When to use it: Thank someone in a mail for putting up with delays or extra questions.

    Votre goes with vous; keep this line for a mail, not for Odile at the counter.

    Say it: The an in patience is a nasal sound.

  4. From above, Sam sits back from the marble table with a pleased professional posture while Gaspard listens from the next table.

    Ce fut un plaisir de travailler avec vous.

    It was a pleasure working with you.

    When to use it: Close a finished project in a formal note with this set phrase.

    Ce fut is a set past phrase here; do not swap in c'était in this line.

    Say it: The t in fut is silent.

  5. Sam looks up from the laptop with a hand slightly raised while Odile watches from the zinc counter.

    Je reste à votre disposition si besoin.

    I'm still here if you need anything.

    When to use it: Offer more help at the end of a work mail.

    À votre disposition is the formal offer, fuller than je reste disponible.

    Say it: The final e in reste is silent.

  6. The empty window table sits in morning light, with Sam finishing at the marble table and Odile at the zinc counter, both soft in the background.

    Bien à vous, et encore merci.

    Kind regards, and thank you again.

    When to use it: Sign off a formal mail after the thanks.

    Bien à vous is a written close with vous, not a café goodbye.

Story — he rewrites it

Watch Sam rewrite the mail three times at the café table. Odile and Gaspard hear each draft out loud.

The highlighted words are the lines you just learned. Turn on Show English if you need it.

  1. Sam's laptop is open. The window table stays empty, brass sign blank.
  2. OdileTu es encore sur ce mail, mon grand ?You're still on that mail, dear?
  3. SamLe guide est livré. Je veux remercier Claire par mail.The guide has shipped. I want to thank Claire by mail.
  4. OdileAllez, lis. Garde le vous dans le mail, même si vous vous tutoyez au bureau.Go on, read. Keep vous in the mail, even if you use tu at the office.
  5. SamJe tenais à vous remercier chaleureusement.I wanted to thank you warmly.
  6. OdileBien. Pas le merci du comptoir.Good. Not the thanks from the counter.
  7. SamCette année à Paris m'a beaucoup apporté.This year in Paris has given me a lot.
  8. GaspardParis t'a donné beaucoup, c'est vrai.Paris has given you a lot, that's true.
  9. Sam deletes two lines and types the middle again.
  10. OdileTu vas le relire jusqu'à ce soir.You'll reread it until this evening.
  11. SamMerci pour votre patience, vraiment.Thank you for your patience, really.
  12. OdileElle va aimer. Continue.She'll like that. Go on.
  13. SamCe fut un plaisir de travailler avec vous.It was a pleasure working with you.
  14. GaspardCe fut. Ça sonne bien, ça.It was. That sounds good.
  15. SamJe reste disponible si besoin.I'm available if needed.
  16. OdilePour Claire, c'est un peu léger.For Claire, that's a bit light.
  17. SamJe reste à votre disposition si besoin.I'm still here if you need anything.
  18. OdileVoilà. Et tu signes comment ?There. And how are you signing off?
  19. SamBien à vous, et encore merci.Kind regards, and thank you again.
  20. OdileEnvoie, mon grand.Send it, dear.
  21. SamMerci beaucoup.Thank you very much.

Practice — mail, not counter

Ten short drills wait here. You will listen, fill a gap, swap a word, match meanings, and build a closing line.

They stay on the mail, so you do not mix them with café thanks.

0 of 10 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    French

    Cette année à Paris m'a beaucoup apporté.Drop the English here
    Merci pour votre patience, vraiment.Drop the English here
    Je reste à votre disposition si besoin.Drop the English here

    English

    Drag an English line onto its French, or tap one and then the other.

  3. What do you say?

    You are writing to Claire after the long edits. Thank her for her patience, and mean it.

  4. Fill the gap

    This year in Paris has given me a lot.

    Cette année à Paris m'a ____ apporté.

  5. Swap the word

    The guide has shipped. Close the project with the set formal past phrase.

    ____ un plaisir de travailler avec vous.

  6. Build the line

    Kind regards, and thank you again.

    , .

    Tap the words in order.

  7. What does it mean?

    Je reste à votre disposition si besoin.

  8. Pick the reply

    Odile says:

    Et tu signes comment ?

    And how are you signing off?

    And you reply with:

  9. Fill the gap

    I'm available if needed.

    Je reste ____ si besoin.

  10. What do you say?

    Odile has just put your crème down. Thank her the café way, with a little extra.

Say it — send the note

Now you're Sam at the table, sending the mail to Claire. When it's your turn, tap the microphone and speak the line.

Tap ▶ first if you want to hear the line. Your recording stays on your device.

  1. OdileAllez, le début du mail.Go on, the start of the mail.
  2. Sam (you)Open the mail with a warm thanks.

    Je tenais à vous remercier chaleureusement.

    I wanted to thank you warmly.

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
Je tenais à vous remercier chaleureusement.I wanted to thank you warmly.
Cette année à Paris m'a beaucoup apporté.This year in Paris has given me a lot.
Merci pour votre patience, vraiment.Thank you for your patience, really.
Ce fut un plaisir de travailler avec vous.It was a pleasure working with you.
Je reste à votre disposition si besoin.I'm still here if you need anything.
Bien à vous, et encore merci.Kind regards, and thank you again.
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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Want to keep this thank-you mail handy? Grab the Yak Cards for this lesson and review them anywhere.

A quick round with the Yak Cards each day keeps your formal thanks ready for a mail.

Open Yak Cards