How to reply to thank you

How to Respond to Thank You (In All Kind of Situations)

What’s the best way to reply to a “thank you”? While you can always say “you’re welcome” or “no problem,” it is beneficial to have a variety of responses depending upon the situation you’re in.

Here are a couple of ways to respond to a “thank you” in all kinds of situations.

Table of Contents

Jacob Kountz

Associate Marriage and Family Therapist, Kernell Wellness Counseling

Saying thank you expresses one’s acknowledgment and gratitude of a particular act that may have been performed in their favor. But, how someone responds to thank you can be full of nuances that may be harder to decode. Here are a few ways of how to respond to thank you, and why:

Simply say “you’re welcome”

If it’s the case where you completed something for someone that was either unexpected (perhaps a surprise) or requested and they say thank you, simply say you’re welcome. Although this message could tell the sender that they were welcome to allow what action occurred that yielded a thank you, it can still be considered a harmless response. The acronym K.I.S.S. or Keep It Simple Silly seems permissible in this situation.

Refrain from “not a problem” or “anytime” if you do not mean it

It could be the case where doing something that wasn’t necessarily your responsibility still yielded a “thank you” from an individual. Now what? What do you say? It might not pan out in your favor to say something like “not a problem” or “anytime.”

Due to the fact that it may have actually been a problem for you, and you don’t see yourself doing the favor again literally anytime, do yourself and the other party favor and stop yourself from saying those phrases. This can send a message to others that you may be available to complete whatever task it was again and again— a risk you might not want to take on.

Christopher Littlefield

International Speaker | Recognition Expert | Founder, Beyond Thank You

How to respond to a compliment when you feel you don’t deserve it

In 2008, I interviewed over 400 people on the subway in Boston to study why people struggle to both give and receive Acknowledgment, Recognition, and Praise.

In my study, I found that although the number one thing people associated with being recognized (88%) was feeling valued, nearly 70% of people associated embarrassment and discomfort with the process. When I asked people why recognition made them uncomfortable, although there were multiple reasons, one of the most common answers:

“I feel I don’t deserve it.”

In my years of studying this subject, I have found that people often feel this way for a few different reasons. Here is how to respond to each:

I was thanked for someone else’s work:

If this is the case, simply respond with, “That is really great to hear you feel that way, but John was the one responsible for this project. He will be thrilled to hear how you feel.”

The work was a team effort:

If this is the case, respond with, “Thank you for saying that. Our team has been working really hard. I will let everyone know how you feel.”

And, the most common reason, “I feel like I could have done better”:

What most people do not realize is that a compliment is often more about the giver than the receiver. When someone compliments you, they are sharing how what you did impact them. It does not matter if you agree with what they said, just relate to their feedback as you would a gift, and say, “thank you!”

Transformational Coach | Relationship and Dating Expert | Author of the upcoming book “Soul on Fire“

The best way to respond to “Thank you” is by truly receiving it

You don’t even need to respond in a verbal way – just allow the intention behind the words to sink in. From my point of view, saying ‘thank you’ is an acknowledgment and an expression of gratitude.

It doesn’t matter what the person is thanking you for or how they express it. The key is in receiving the energy and appreciation that are coming your way. Most of the time, when we hear ‘Thank you,’ we just go over it, thinking: “Yeah, right, that was nothing“. By doing this, we even push the other person away.

If you are having trouble receiving the gratitude of others, here are a few questions to play with through journaling or introspection: “What is really holding me back from receiving another person’s gratitude? What beliefs do I have around this?” Could it be that you believe that if you receive their gratitude, you would need to do something again to give back to this person?

Don’t take an expression of “Thank you” for granted and automatically skip over it.

Make a conscious effort to go beyond just hearing the words, and take in the gratitude of the person. Allow it to sink in and let yourself be touched. When you start receiving the gratitude of others, you will start gaining more and more insight into how much people are grateful for you.

Your willingness to receive will also invite others to express their acknowledgment even more. Allow yourself to receive this precious gift, as someone’s gratitude for you can truly nourish your heart.

Speaker | Educator | Author

It’s often said that it’s not what we say but how we say it that has the greatest impact on people. For instance, just because someone says thank you does not mean that it’s a genuine expression of appreciation.

It could possibly be a habitual behavior that we’ve been conditioned to do from a young age. However, a simple “thank you” can go a long way and build unprecedented connections with others or unravel pent-up frustration. Thus, the response can affirm or shift the dynamics of the relationship at stake.

Common responses to the phrase thank you consist of:

Yet, the response depends on the situation, the context of the thank you, and the relational background of all parties involved. For instance, if a teacher provides a student with supplies because they are unprepared for the lesson, the student should reply with a grateful “you’re welcome” because the student could not complete their assignments otherwise.

If your best friend picks up your kids from school because you and your partner both have to work late, the best friend may reply with “no problem” because they want to help. If your partner sneezes, your reply may consist of silence because of a mutual understanding.

If you constantly have to wait on a colleague to complete their work tasks before you can complete your part, they may respond with “sure” or “okay” because they are sarcastically being petty due to their slow productivity.

If your parents keep their grandkids for spring break, which they haven’t seen for a long time, they may reply with “my pleasure” or “it was an honor” because they receive joy spoiling their grandkids then sending them back home to you.

If an elder makes a donation at the local charity organization, they’d kindly respond with a head nod. If your sibling borrowed your car and brought it back later than the agreed upon time, they’d reply with a sleazy “whatever” because they have no consideration for your schedule.

Whatever the response may be to the phrase “thank you,” it will definitely not go unnoticed.

Michael A. Gisondi, MD

Associate Professor and Vice-Chair of Education, Stanford University Medical Center

Simply, you should say, “You’re welcome”

I learned this the hard way, over the years, as an emergency room physician. Many times my patients and their families would look me in the eyes and, with such emotion, express their gratitude for my care.

And for many years, I found it uncomfortable to simply accept their thanks – I would instead use phrases such as, “Oh, its nothing, I was just doing my job!” Then the emotion in their eyes would fade, as my insecure response devalued their thanks.

After 18 years of practice, I am still thrilled when a patient says, thank you. I get up in the morning to take care of others. When they say “thank you,” I say, “you’re welcome, it was my pleasure to care for you today.”

Consultant | Coach | Speaker

“No problem” is a problem

How many times have you thanked someone, and they respond with “no problem?” It happens more times than I can count. Where I truly appreciated their service, assistance, information, guidance, never once did I think any of it was a problem.

I’m not sure how that phrase became so commonplace. I realize it’s said with good intent. That said, sadly, it’s not only ineffective, but it also downplays and defeats the well-intentioned and appreciative thank you. Bottom line, responding “no problem” is problematic.

When receiving a “thank you,” at a minimum, say “you’re welcome.”
Better yet, expand on that sentiment with a more personalized response, such as:

“I’m happy I could help.”
“I’m glad we could take care of it.”
“I know this was important to you, and I’m glad we could handle it.”
“You’re a great patient/customer/client, and I’m happy to do this.”
“This is exactly why we’re here and what we do – and I’m happy to be able to help you.”

Some may think this is common sense. But, in reality, it’s not very common. Instead of minimizing the thank you with a “no problem,” respond with something that highlights that very acknowledgment you just received.

“You’re welcome. I’m glad to help!”

Justin Hill

Personal Injury Attorney | Owner, Hill Law Firm

“We’re always happy to help”

When former clients reach out to say, “thank you,” we like to respond with, “We’re always happy to help.”

Because we’re a boutique injury law firm, we emphasize the importance of being accessible in all of our communication from start to finish. We rely on our clients and their positive reviews of our interactions with them whether they hire us to represent them or not.

We’re truly a 24/7 firm that responds to clients whenever they reach out to us, which is usually in the midst of a highly stressful situation. Most of our clients don’t expect to receive the amount of personal attention that we’re able to provide over the course of their interactions with us from the time we meet to the time we settle a case.

So when they reach out with words of gratitude and a “thank you,” we want them to know that serving them is at the forefront of our work and that we are here for them even after our services have been concluded.

Alesha R. Brown, MBA

Award-Winning Entrepreneur | CEO, Fruition Publishing Concierge Services

You need to acknowledge their feelings of gratitude

Don’t say, “Why are you thanking me?” OR “Thanks for what? I didn’t do anything.”

A “thank you” means the person is appreciative of whatever you did for them or whatever your actions were. They are thanking you for making a difference or impact on their lives or in a particular situation. So, therefore, you need to acknowledge their expression, feelings of gratitude, and the difference that they are acknowledging you for. The above responses don’t do that and can make the person feel wrong for thanking you.

If, like myself, you are often shocked or feel so emotional that you don’t know what to say, here are a few ideal responses:

“You are more than welcome.”

“Thank you for the opportunity to…”

You can use a few words, or you can start with these and follow these phrases with how grateful you were to make a difference in their lives.

Andrew Taylor

Founder, Director, and Chief Executive, Net Lawman

You need to approach the way to respond to a thank you remark, depending on what situation you are in.

Are you in a formal context, or is it more informal? Are you addressing someone higher than you, or lower than you, in a professional situation? Is it a professional setting, or are we in a casual, friendly situation?

What is the age of the individual thanking you – this is also something to do with formality in a way as you should remark more formally to those of an older generation.

For formal settings, I would suggest the following responses to “thank you”

For more informal settings, I would use the following:

It is polite to turn the thanks on itself, and you can thank the individual as well, either for thanking you, for their company, for the experience.

Amie Devero

I think this is an issue for all of us in our daily engagements when we are thanked at a shop, or by someone after treating them to a meal or opening a door.

The most important thing when responding to someone’s thanks is to acknowledge it. There is a trend of people saying “no problem,” but that is not adequate. It implies that you don’t really understand that what you did made a difference to someone. I usually respond to thank you with, “It’s my pleasure.”

I made a conscious decision to do that many years ago because it creates a complete social cycle of graciousness. In other words, it forms a circular experience of someone doing something kind or gracious, the recipient feeling gratitude and saying thank you, and then acknowledging that you were kind because you enjoy being kind. It creates a cohesive whole.

My hope is to add to virtuous cycles of people being kind, being appreciated, and perpetuating the circuit by expressing their own delight in doing something for someone else. In our culture, we admire people who are generous and giving (as we should), but we often fail to notice that kindness and generosity are pleasurable for those being kind and generous –not just for the recipients of those acts. So responding to “thank you” by saying it was a pleasure expresses that.

27 Different Ways to Say Thank You (And How to Reply)

Saying thank you can be difficult in English.

It’s not the words. (I mean, “thank you” — there. That was easy.)

It’s saying the right thing at the right time.

Today, I want to show you different ways to say thank you in English so you have exactly the phrases you need when you need them.

Then you can thank me.

1. Different Ways to Say Thank You in English

I’ve decided to separate these phrases for “thank you” into two categories:

Informal

Cheers!

“Cheers” actually has a lot of meanings, and one of them is “thanks.”

This is very British. It’s used to say thank you for small things — like when someone passes you the salt.

“Fancy a rice cake?”
“Oh, yeah. Cheers, pal.”

“Ta” is very British. (In fact, you can only really use this one in the UK.) You can use it to thank people for small things — it’s light and friendly.

“Hey. Here’s your pen back.”
“Ta, mate.”

Thanks a bunch!

This phrase is a little stronger than “Cheers!” and “Ta!”

If you want to show that you’re really thankful, but at the same time you want to keep things light, this is a good one.

“Wow! You fixed my bike! Thanks a bunch!”

But you can also use this phrase with the opposite meaning.

So, if someone does something that’s caused problems for you, then you can use this phrase sarcastically:

“What? You gave the kids coffee? Look at them … Thanks a bunch!

Thanks a million!

This is more or less the same as “thanks a bunch.”

You can use it sincerely (but lightly) or sarcastically.

“You’ll go get me a coffee? Thanks a million! Really. I just don’t have the time!”

“A £75 fine for a bill that’s one day late? Great. Thanks a million.”

Informal / Formal

Thanks so much. / Thank you so much.

Another classic. Like Casablanca. Or Fight Club.

I often add “really” at the beginning to make it stronger.

“Oh, and Laurie? Really, thanks so much for covering my shift at work.”

“Hey, Freya! Thank you so much for Alex’s birthday present. I’m sure he’ll love it!”

Thanks a lot.

This is a classic. But the classics are sometimes the best, right? I mean — look at Casablanca. Easily the best film set in World War II Morocco.

“Hey! Excuse me. You dropped your phone!”
“Oh! Thanks a lot!”

2. Phrases After Thank You – the ‘Thanks’ Extension

A lot of the time, just saying “thank you” isn’t enough.

Sometimes you feel really, really grateful, and you want to show that.

So when you feel particularly happy because of what someone has done for you, you can add an “extension” with one of these phrases. Use it after one of the “thank you” phrases above.

Informal

You rule!

“You rule!” Such a nice thing to hear from someone.

But what do you rule?

You’re awesome!

Again — just so nice to hear from someone.

If someone helps you and you call them “awesome,” they’re more likely to help again, right?

You’re the best!

For some people, suggesting that someone is even better than your best friends and closest family might seem a bit too strong.

But don’t worry. This is just a phrase, and no one will think that you like them more than anyone else in the world.

They’ll just feel happy that they helped you!

I owe you one.

Sometimes when someone helps us out, we want them to know that we’re there to help them out, too.

That’s when this phrase will come in handy. It’s basically short for “I owe you a favour.”

(If I know that the person I’m talking to likes to have a drink, I often say, “I owe you a pint,” meaning a beer. This is how a lot of Brits like to show their thanks.)

I’m touched.

OK. This doesn’t literally mean that you were touched by someone or something.

“Touched” as an adjective can often mean “emotionally affected.”

So when someone has done something for you that you really weren’t expecting, and it kind of makes you want to cry, you can go for this one.

Informal / Formal

You made my day.

Obviously you didn’t actually make my day. I mean — how does someone make a day?

This means “You made today fully happy, despite what else has happened today.”

That’s nice to hear, right?

I really appreciate it.

What better way to show your appreciation than by saying so directly?

I can’t thank you enough.

This one sounds quite strong, doesn’t it?

Well, that’s because it is.

Definitely not one to us for small things, like if someone’s just made you some toast.

This is for when you’re really, really, really grateful.

Thank you for taking the trouble to …

You know when someone does something for you, and you want to tell them that you understand that it wasn’t so easy for them, but they did it anyway?

That’s when you can use this phrase!

Remember to say what they took the trouble to do, though:

I don’t know what to say!

Again — this is one of the big ones.

This is similar to “I’m touched.”

Use it when you really are surprised and very, very, very grateful.

Oh, you shouldn’t have!

This is another classic.

Most of the time, we use this phrase when someone gives us a present.

It’s short for “You shouldn’t have bought me a present” — even though we’re usually fine with the present. It’s just a ridiculously indirect way of being polite.

How thoughtful.

Use this one when someone has done something more than they needed to — something that shows that they care.

(Don’t use this for routine tasks or when you’ve asked somebody to do something.)

“Flowers? For me? How thoughtful!”

I couldn’t have done it without you!

For those situations when you’ve achieved something, and you really want to show that someone’s help got you there.

You’ll hear this one a lot at award ceremonies like the Oscars.

3. How to Reply to Thank You

Informal

No worries!

No worries! It’s OK. Everything’s good.

I use this one a lot. I like it because it keeps everything light and informal, which is just what you need sometimes.

No … Thank YOU!

This is like taking the thank you and giving it back to the other person.

I think in some cultures and some situations this might not be the most respectful thing, but in the right (friendly) environment, this can be just perfect.

The pronunciation is key for this.

Informal / Formal

You’re welcome.

The absolute classic!

You’ve probably been using this one for years now, so you might want to try out some of the other phrases for a while.

This one will still be here when you want to come back to it.

Here are some alternatives:

Don’t mention it.

Not at all!

It’s nothing.

That’s all right.

It’s my pleasure.

This one is a little like the others on this list, but don’t use it for simple things, like when someone thanks you for passing the salt.

Save this one for the bigger favours. Like when someone thanks you for driving them to the station. Or for building them that space ship they’ve always wanted so they can finally go and check out that restaurant on Saturn.

So there we are — 27 different ways to say thank you (and reply to thank you) in English.

In places like the UK, the US and Australia, it’s very, very common to thank people — even for the smallest things. We just like doing it.

In other cultures, it’s not so common, and people only thank each other when they’re especially grateful.

What about where you’re from?

Do people say thank you a lot in your country? Or is it something you only do on special situations?

Let me know in the comments! It’s great to hear about how things work around the world!

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How do I reply to «thank you» and «sorry»? [closed]

This question should include more details than have been provided here. Please edit to add the research you have done in your efforts to answer the question, or provide more context. See: Details, Please.

I am a foreigner and I am wondering how to respond «thank you» and «sorry».

I think I could respond to «thank you» like this:

Don’t mention it.

(It’s ) my pleasure.

That’s all right./That ok.

I think I could respond to «sorry» like this:

Am I right? Do you have something else to add? Thank you so much.

1 Answer 1

I’m an American native speaker. For «Thank you.» I often use these:

«You’re welcome.» «I’m happy to help.» «No problem.» (Informal, and can sound a little arrogant in some situations, but it really means «It was no trouble to help you.».)

And, in America, we often return the thanks, especially when it’s a mutual exchange such as buying food or something from a store: «Thank you.»

I would not say «It doesn’t matter.», because that can sound like «It’s not important.», which can sound dismissive, or someone might misunderstand you to be saying «It doesn’t matter to me that you’re sorry.». I wouldn’t use it!

Also, «Never mind.» sounds funny in America. We usually use it to say, «You can forget what I was talking about, because it’s not important.».

Possible responses to «thank you»

Is «you are welcome» more polite than «no problem»?

What is the general proper reply to a thank-you?

12 Answers 12

First of all, this is always contracted «You’re welcome» and is THE best response to thanks in any situation (NOT: you are, which would sound robotic)

No problem is quite familiar and not as «social» as you’re welcome. An even more familiar version of this is no sweat.

Don’t mention it is quite appropriate instead of you’re welcome. If you went to significant trouble and someone thanks you, you can also respond with No trouble at all or my pleasure.

Just my personal opinion, You’re welcome may be too formal in some cases, specially if it is not a workplace conversation. I’ve never seen anyone saying «No Problem» while talking to a client (Someone you’re selling something to). In such cases I believe one should stick to «You’re welcome.» «No Problem» though an apt response, does not sound as gratifying as «You’re welcome».

Some other responses could be «Sure!» or «You bet!». These two, as I understand make you sound more personable and should be used professionally only if you’re very familiar with the other person. It has worked well for me around in Midwest and down south (mostly Texas). The location in this context could be important as well.

«You’re welcome.» is always a correct response. «No problem.» is fine for informal interactions, but I prefer to say «My pleasure.» instead. It seems more friendly to me than «no problem».

Adding to all the other good answers here, I tend to use «quite welcome» instead of «you <'re, are>welcome». Might be because I live in the UK, in the USA things probably happen differently … and even moreso in other countries.

Nobody has said this yet, and I think it bears mention: «no problem» means «doing this for you didn’t inconvenience me» and is often taken to mean «so you shouldn’t feel any reluctance to make a similar request of me in the future.»

Sometimes that’s exactly what you mean to communicate. «Your paying my premium to rescue you from your fiasco was entirely welcome income to me! Let’s do this all the time!» But I think more often than not, people err by downplaying the trouble they were put to by a request, and inadvertently set themselves up to be exploited by saying «no problem»: telling people who ask favors of them that they should go go right ahead and ask more favors, instead of making clear that something was an imposition, but they did it anyway out of love, pity, or professionalism.

I have learned in business to never, ever say «no problem» unless I want a repeat performance of that situation. Someone comes to me with a rush job with no financial consideration? Asking me to bend the rules just very slightly for their benefit? If I indulge them and they thank me for it, the answer is «You’re welcome», and never «No problem».

You’re Welcome

The vast majority of the answers here are very similar to the answers to When should “no problem” replace “you’re welcome” as a response to “thank you”?, but this question is slightly different.

The asker wanted to know what «the general proper reply» is, not necessarily which response to use in which nuanced situation.

«The general proper reply» is «you’re welcome». Sometimes another response, such as «no problem» might be somewhat better in the situation, but it can also be wrong sometimes, as pointed out in some of these answers. «You’re Welcome» is always okay, even if it might seem a little too formal at times.

Note: «You are welcome» usually sounds a little forced. For a general solution, use the contracted «you’re welcome».

To add one more option, «glad to help» and variants convey a positive and friendly response without diminishing one’s effort, with similar connotation to «You’re welcome» but a touch less formulaic and personal.

On the other hand, «you’re welcome» said with some inflection to convey that it’s not automatic, or «glad to help», are relatively direct and meaningful responses to appreciation.