If someone say to you "thanks", you can reply in so many different ways, can't you? I've thought of:
- You're welcome
- Don't mention it
- No problem
Thanks... You're welcome. Don't mention it. No problem. ...
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It was a pleasure.
It was my pleasure.
No sweat.
Anytime.
Those are ones that come to mind right now. The formality of your answer depends on who is thanking you and for what. I wouldn't answer "No sweat." if my minister thanked me for doing a reading in church. My minister is sticky about manners.
It was my pleasure.
No sweat.
Anytime.
Those are ones that come to mind right now. The formality of your answer depends on who is thanking you and for what. I wouldn't answer "No sweat." if my minister thanked me for doing a reading in church. My minister is sticky about manners.
No sweat... I like that one. Never heard before. Cool! Many thanks!
In inner city street talk in the U.S. you might well hear "ain't no thing".
I can confirm that "no worries" is popular here. You also here the even more casual "no probs".
EDIT: I just remembered the super-casual "no wuckers!" (an amalgamation of "no xxxx-ing worries".)
That's interesting that you use "no worries" in response to ''thanks.'' I use ''no worries'' all the time, but usually in reference to telling others not to worry. In response to the post, if it's someone you really like or care about, you can also say "For you, anything."
The Sopranos, a US TV show, has made popular the saying, "Fuggettabouddit!"
(forget about it)
(forget about it)
In certain places in the US (Seattle leaps to mind), the common response is "You bet!" As a New Yorker, I find "you bet!" as a response to "thank you" to be bizarre. Around here, people would say "you're welcome" or "don't mention it" or "my pleasure" or "no problem."
An American gent held a door open for me at the Yosemite National Park gift shop.
I said "Thank you, sir."
He replied "Certainly".
I said "Thank you, sir."
He replied "Certainly".
That reminds me of the Duke of Cambridge in the nineteenth century, who, it was said, used to turn up drunk at the Chapel Royal, and when the priest said 'Let us pray', the Duke would reply loudly: 'By all means.'
I suspect few items of language are more indicative of personal style than the reply to Thank You. My blood curdles when someone, often a polite oriental person, replies 'You're welcome' because it's such a strange mixture of condescension and Northern English working-class patois. I used to tell my Chinese pupils to stop doing it because it troubled me so. Where I come from the polite response was 'Not at all', which hasn't so far come under starter's orders.
Surely that's No wucking furries, Viv ... ? (i.e. a reverse portmanteau spoonerism???)
Your blood would then curdle regularly in the largest English-speaking country in the world (namely, the United States, whose native English speakers outnumber the native English speakers of Britain by something like 4 to 1), where what you dismiss as "condescenion" and "Northern English working-class patois" is considered standard, basic good manners, and is used by well-bred and well-educated persons of all social classes, including persons of ancestry, education, wealth, and public respect considerably greater than either yours or mine.
I therefore suggest you stop telling your Chinese pupils to avoid using a phrase that the majority of native English speakers find quite polite. I will also point out that the alternative "not at all" is itself more than a little condescending.
Your reaction beautifully illustrates the difference between good manners in AE and BE.
I have used "You're quite welcome." and "You're very welcome."
"It was my pleasure." and "My pleasure." also come to mind.
Orange Blossom
"It was my pleasure." and "My pleasure." also come to mind.
Orange Blossom
I would not consider dismissing a common form of politeness of the larger part of the English-speaking world with the sneer that it is "working-class patois" (a comment that would be unjustified from the Duke of Norfolk, let alone from someone who is ... not) to be "good manners" on any continent.
Heard in some regions of the US: "sure thing"
Formally it is wrong to use the contractions in general (I'm, They're, You're) but colloquially/informally it isn't wrong and it is widely used.
Just be sure to keep it out of official writing such as school papers, government documents, etc.
Hope it helps,
Espinha
P.S. They mean the same though, it's just a different, contracted, spelling.
Just be sure to keep it out of official writing such as school papers, government documents, etc.
Hope it helps,
Espinha
P.S. They mean the same though, it's just a different, contracted, spelling.
When spoken, it is practically always 'you're welcome', but as Espinha rightly says, avoid using the contraction when writing, unless of course you are writing a dialogue.
To say "You are welcome" in conversation would almost be perceived as unnecessarily formal. I cannot imagine myself saying this in preference to "You're welcome".
As others have said, in written English different rules apply.
A German colleague of mine who speaks English fairly well was surprised to learn that both "please" and "for nothing" are not accepted replies to "thank you". I told him that they were translations or non-native Englishisms, but then I began to wonder.
Does anyone know of region where native English speakers would reply "please" or "for nothing" to "thank you"
Does anyone know of region where native English speakers would reply "please" or "for nothing" to "thank you"
In normal situations I'd say these two expressions are not used in English, but............
(Exchange between kids, one of whom has just done something spiteful to the other). "Thank yooooou!" "For nothing!!" (big cruel smile).
Exchange after a very, very easy and obvious small help has been given: "Thank you". "PLEASE" heavily stressed to mean that so little was done that it wasn't worth the thanks, and anyway, anyone would have done the same.
(Exchange between kids, one of whom has just done something spiteful to the other). "Thank yooooou!" "For nothing!!" (big cruel smile).
Exchange after a very, very easy and obvious small help has been given: "Thank you". "PLEASE" heavily stressed to mean that so little was done that it wasn't worth the thanks, and anyway, anyone would have done the same.
I love this discussion and the very fact that you as english speaking people have som many different ways to say such an easy thing.
But I do still have a problem: if someone says thankyou to me in a every day situation like because I kept the door open, or I watched at his/her stuff in a cafe should I say you're welcome or no problem? no problem doesn't make so much sense for me but you're welcome is to long so it usually happens to me to say something like just "welcome" but I am pretty sure that I am wrong! any advice?
But I do still have a problem: if someone says thankyou to me in a every day situation like because I kept the door open, or I watched at his/her stuff in a cafe should I say you're welcome or no problem? no problem doesn't make so much sense for me but you're welcome is to long so it usually happens to me to say something like just "welcome" but I am pretty sure that I am wrong! any advice?
How is "You're welcome" longer than "No problem"? 
I don't like the response "No problem." It implies that the person saying it was imposed upon. Why should it be a problem or imposition to do a favor for someone? "You're welcome" or "My pleasure" is much more gracious.
If you say just "Welcome," that would be incorrect. "Welcome" is a greeting or exclamation, as in "Are you new here? Welcome!"
I don't like the response "No problem." It implies that the person saying it was imposed upon. Why should it be a problem or imposition to do a favor for someone? "You're welcome" or "My pleasure" is much more gracious.
If you say just "Welcome," that would be incorrect. "Welcome" is a greeting or exclamation, as in "Are you new here? Welcome!"
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I don't really like "No problem" either, and if, for example, I'd just gone into a cafe and ordered a cup of tea, I would think to myself ".. well I never thought it was a problem. All I asked for was a cup of tea!"
However, I've finally decided to go with the flow, and now catch myself saying it from time to time. After all, it's not so different really from "not at all."
However, I've finally decided to go with the flow, and now catch myself saying it from time to time. After all, it's not so different really from "not at all."
There is also, in American English, "no biggie."
Which is short for "no big deal."
Regarding "for nothing" sounds like the literal translation of "por nada" or "de nada", that is very common in Spanish.
That would sound pretty rude, Silver. And strange