How To Say You’re Welcome And Respond To Gracias In Spanish

You should always remember your ‘pleases’ and ‘thank yous’ in Spanish.

It pays to be respectful and polite!

But there’s another piece of etiquette advice you should keep in mind, which is saying ‘you’re welcome’ in Spanish.

You can find out more about how to say ‘thank you’ in Spanish in a separate guide, where you’ll find many varieties of the word gracias.

Similarly, saying ‘you’re welcome’ in Spanish has many varieties too.

So, if your goal is to know the best way to say ‘no problem’ or ‘that’s alright’ in Spanish, you’ll discover how in this guide.

Here we go, let’s explore another point of Spanish politeness.

How do you say ‘you’re welcome’ in Spanish?

The table just below contains the most common ways to say ‘you’re welcome’ in Spanish.

Take a look.

‘You’re welcome’ in Spanish: different social contexts

You can expect to encounter many different social contexts if you live in a Spanish speaking country.

There are contexts where you’ll be speaking with strangers.

There will be contexts where you might be having a conversation with in-laws. There will be times where you’re speaking with a friend.

If you’re chatting with a friend, about a favour you’ve done for them, you could say ‘nah, it was nothing’, whereas if you’re speaking with your boss, you might choose to say ‘that was no problem’.

And, just like in English, certain phrases are suited to each of these situations in Spanish.

Why you shouldn’t use bienvenido/bienvenida to say ‘you’re welcome’

The word bienvenido does translate to ‘welcome’.

So why don’t we use it when saying ‘you’re welcome’ in Spanish?

Well, bienvenido is typically used in contexts where you are welcoming or inviting someone into your home or to a show at the theatre.

We wouldn’t use ‘estás bienvenido’ when saying ‘you’re welcome’ - this would be using it incorrectly.

Instead, stick to some of the phrases that are noted in the above table to make grammatical sense when telling someone ‘they’re welcome’ for a favour you have done.

Let’s take a look at some of these in more detail.

When is the phrase de nada appropriate and what does it mean?

De nada is the most common way to say ‘you’re welcome’ in Spanish.

It literally translates to English as ‘of nothing’.

You’ll hear it in both formal and informal contexts, so there’s no limitation on where it can be used.

For example, you might hear this type of conversation when you’re in a dental practice or hospital waiting room, and the receptionist books someone an appointment:

Muchas gracias por la ayuda. Ahora no me duele el diente.

Thanks a lot for the help. Now my tooth doesn’t hurt.

De nada. Hasta pronto.

You’re welcome. See you soon.

So, although the receptionist might not personally know the patient, they can still combine their medical Spanish knowledge with de nada to book their appointment and say ‘you’re welcome’ in Spanish.

When should you use no hay de que to say ‘you’re welcome’ in Spanish?

We use no hay de que to say ‘you’re welcome’ in Spanish, mostly in informal settings.

It literally means ‘there’s nothing of that’ and can sometimes be extended to a longer version no hay de que preocuparse which is formal.

This latter version means ‘not to worry’.

How to use un placer in formal contexts

You will hear un placer or es un placer used frequently in business negotiations or public service trades.

Un placer means ‘it’s a pleasure’ and is used to say ‘you’re welcome’ in Spanish in formal contexts.

For instance, if you have just finished negotiating a business deal to import more foreign goods or products from overseas, this is how the dialogue might go:

Gracias por los productos. Serán muy útiles.

Thank you for the products. They will be very useful.

Un placer hacer negocios con usted. Gracias.

It’s a pleasure to do business with you. Thank you.

Using no es nada to say ‘you’re welcome’ in Spanish

No es nada is similar to de nada.

It can be thought of as a relaxed way to say ‘you’re welcome’ in informal situations between in-laws, friends and family members.

You’ll hear it from parents who have helped their children, perhaps with the word cariño somewhere in the reply.

For instance:

Muchas gracias mamá. El pastel fue riquísimo. ¿Te invito a tomar un café?

Thanks a lot, mum. The cake was delicious. Do you want to have a coffee?

No es nada, cariño. Sí, vamos a tomar un café.

You’re welcome, darling. Yes, let’s have a coffee.

Using no hay nada que agradecer in formal situations

The phrase no hay nada que agradecer means ‘there’s nothing to be thankful for’.

It is used in formal situations where one stranger has done a favour for another person. When they say gracias, the person who has done the favour might reply no hay nada que agradecer.

Simply put, it means ‘you’re welcome’.

You will hear this Spanish phrase as a tourist who has just received directions.

If you’re headed to the Sagrada Familia Basílica in Barcelona, for example, but you’re not sure where it is, you might hear it after you have said ‘thank you’.

For example:

Para llegar a la basílica, siga recto y luego, gire a la derecha.

To get to the church, continue straight on and later, turn to the right.

Muchas gracias por ayudarme.

Thanks a lot for helping me.

No hay nada que agradecer.

There’s nothing to be thankful for.

What does no hay problema mean and when should you use it?

No hay problema can be used as a way of saying ‘you’re welcome’ in Spanish as well.

It literally translates to English as ‘there is no problem’ and is similar to saying ‘no problem’.

For this reason, it’s easy to remember and can be used in various contexts.

You might hear it at work, or the post office.

You might hear your family members use it to say ‘you’re welcome’ in Spanish too.

Using por nada to say ‘you’re welcome’ in Spanish

This is a slightly similar way to say ‘you’re welcome’ in Spanish when compared with de nada.

It means ‘for nothing’ in its literal translation.

You won’t hear it frequently in European Spanish, but it is popular in Latin America.

Why is saying ‘you’re welcome’ in Spanish important?

Whether you’re at the flower shop or in a panaderia, you’ll hear a Spanish phrase for ‘you’re welcome’ from the florist or baker.

Why is it important?

Saying ‘you’re welcome’ in Spanish is part and parcel of showing good manners.

That’s why you’ll hear it in public services and around family.

Regardless of which situation you find yourself in, you shouldn’t forget to say ‘you’re welcome’ in Spanish.

But, if you’re not sure what kind of ‘you’re welcome’ the situation requires, the guide above should explain it clearly.

Practice telling people ‘it was no problem’ in Spanish

You’re now equipped with all the vocab required to tell people ‘they’re welcome’ in Spanish.

All you need now is to practice these phrases.

Use flashcards if you need to, and listen to audios to get the pronunciation spot on.

As soon as you think you’ve got the expressions under your belt, start using these phrases when you’ve done a favor for someone and they’ve thanked you for it.

You’ll sound like a pro and show off your politeness all at once!

What’s your favourite way to say ‘you’re welcome’ in Spanish?

Add your input to the comments below!

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