GENERAL INFO

Merci means "thank you" or "thanks." It functions primarily as an interjection, but can also be used as a masculine noun (e.g., "un grand merci").

USAGE

Use merci alone to express gratitude. You can intensify it with "beaucoup" (thank you very much), "bien" (many thanks), or "mille fois" (a thousand thanks). To thank someone *for* something, use "merci de" + infinitive verb or "merci pour" + noun.

TRAPS

While both "merci de" and "merci pour" express "thanks for," "merci de" is generally preferred before a verb (e.g., "merci de votre aide," "merci de venir"). "Merci pour" is common before nouns (e.g., "merci pour le cadeau").