How and when to respond to thank you

Learn to be polite

by Kasra Sharifan | Jul 11, 2019 | Speaking, Vocabulary

Old Lady: Excuse me! Can you help me lift this suitcase up? Young Man: Certainly ma’am. Old Lady: Thank you. Young Man: Don’t mention it.

Saying “thank you” shows that you are a polite English speaker, and so does responding to someone who thanks you. This is what you can say when someone thanks you:

Standard / most common:

(You’re) welcome

Formal:

My pleasure

    A: “Excuse me, which way to the elevators?”
    B: “Down the hall and to the left.”
    A: “Thank you.”
    B: “My pleasure.“

Less Formal:

No problem / Not a problem
(That’s) OK
Anytime
Not at all
Don’t mention it
That’s (quite) all right
Sure

But note that English speakers do not always reply to thanks, especially for small things; you can just smile. 🙂

Kasra Sharifan

Co-founder and CFO

British Council certified English teacher, IDP-trained IELTS instructor, content writer, editor-in-chief, co-founder, and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at IELTS Juice Online Academy.