If you’re learning Spanish, it’s very likely that you already know how to say you’re welcome. You’re right, de nada is one way to say you’re welcome in Spanish. But do you know any other phrases that you can use with the same purpose?
If you want to expand your vocabulary and command of the language, in this list, you’ll find 11 popular ways to say you’re welcome in Spanish. All of these expressions can be used in all Spanish speaking countries. However, make sure to read the descriptions so you understand what’s the best one to use for a given context or situation.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing bad with ‘de nada’, but if you can learn other useful expressions why wouldn’t you? 🙂
1. Por Nada – It’s nothing / You’re welcome
Por nada is one variation of ‘de nada’. As a result, it’s one of the most common ways to say you’re welcome in Spanish. Even though there’s no real difference between ‘por nada’ and ‘de nada’, some Spanish speakers may consider that ‘por nada’ is slightly more informal. This expression can be translated either as ‘it’s nothing’ or ‘you’re welcome’.
| Spanish | English |
| Tu amigo: Aquí está el dinero que me prestaste. ¡Muchas gracias, hermano! | Your friend: Here is the money that you lent me. Thanks a lot, bro! |
| Tú: Por nada. Si necesitas algo, dime. | You: It’s nothing. Let me know if I can help. |
| Spanish | English |
| Una señora: ¡Muchas gracias, joven! Es que estas bolsas estaban muy pesadas. | A lady: Thank you very much, young man! These bags were very heavy. |
| Tú: Por nada. No se preocupe. | You: You’re welcome. Don’t worry about it. |
Take Note: ‘Por nada’ can be used ironically to thank people for not helping you. In order to either convey or identify this meaning, you need to pay attention to the context and the speaker’s tone of voice. This meaning is not applicable to ‘de nada’.
¡Te dije que necesitaba que me ayudaras! ¡Gracias por nada!
I told you I needed you to help me! Thanks for nothing!
2. No hay de qué – There’s no need / You’re very welcome
No hay de qué is a short version of the phrase ‘no hay de qué estar agradecido’ (there’s no need to thank). This way to say you’re welcome in Spanish it’s very polite and implies that the person was happy to help you. It can be translated as ‘there’s no need’ or ‘you’re very welcome’.
No hay por qué is a synonym of ‘no hay de que’. Although it’s more polite than other phrases in this list, you can use ‘no hay de qué’ or ‘no hay por qué’ in a wide range of contexts. In fact, using this phrase depends more on your personal preference 🙂
| Spanish | English |
| Tú: Matt, aquí está tu celular, gracias por dejarme llamar. | You: Matt, here is your phone, thanks for letting me call. |
| Tu amigo: No hay de qué, amigo. ¿Sí te contestó Alicia? | Your friend: There’s no need, buddy. Did Alicia answer you? |
| Spanish | English |
| Tú: ¿Te puedo encargar otro tenedor? ¡Gracias! | You: Can I ask you for another fork? Thanks! |
| El mesero: No hay de qué, señorita. En un momento se lo traigo. | The waiter: You’re very welcome, miss. I’ll bring it in a moment. |
Take Note: In Argentina, ‘no hay de qué’ is considered too formal and outdated. Therefore, try to avoid using it in this country.
Related Resource: How & When to Use ‘No hay De Qué’ in Spanish
3. De nada – You’re welcome.
As mentioned before, de nada is the direct translation of ‘you’re welcome’. For that reason, it’s one of the most common and standard ways to say ‘you’re welcome’ in Spanish. This expression can be used in both formal and informal situations.
De nada, Caro, cuando necesites ayuda en español, dime
You’re welcome, Caro, if you need help in Spanish, let me know
No, de nada, para mí es un placer ayudarlas cada que pueda
Oh, you’re welcome, it’s a pleasure to help you anytime I can
Take Note: In many Spanish expressions to say you’re welcome, you can add ‘No,…’ to the beginning of your sentence. In this context, ‘no’ doesn’t have a direct translation, its only purpose is to intensify the phrase. It’s a way to minimize the favor that we did for someone else.
4. De qué – There’s no need
De qué is a short and more casual version of the expression ‘no hay de qué’. Just like ‘no hay de qué’, ‘de qué’ tells people that there’s no need for them to thank you for the help you provided them. This phrase is translated as ‘there’s no need’. If you think ‘no hay de qué’ is too formal for you, ‘de qué’ is a nice option for you.
| Spanish | English |
| Tú: ¡Me encantó el pastel que me regalaste, amiga! Mil gracias. | You: I loved the cake that you gave me! Thank you very much! |
| Tu amiga: Ay, de qué, amiga. ¡Feliz cumpleaños! | Your friend: Oh, there’s no need, pal. Happy birthday! |
| Spanish | English |
| Tú: Amá, ya le llevé sus cosas a la abuela. | You: Ma, I already took her things to grandma’s. |
| Tu mamá: Ay, mija, ¡gracias! | Your mom: Oh, thanks, daughter! |
| Tú: De qué. ¿Necesitas ayuda? | You: There’s no need. Do you need help? |
Take Note: In other contexts, ‘de qué’ can be used to pose questions related to an object’s material, flavor, colors, etc. However, in order to have this meaning, ‘de qué’ will need to work with longer sentences.
5. A ti – Thank you
A ti is a very common way to say you’re welcome in Spanish. It’s a short version of gracias a ti which means ‘thanks you’. Even though this phrase is very common, there are some things to keep in mind in order to use it correctly:
- Like any other phrases from this list, it’s a response for whenever someone says ‘thank you’.
- Expresses both ‘thank you’ and ‘you’re welcome’.
- It’s used when you did a favor for someone, but somehow they’re helping you too
- A usted is a formal version of ‘a ti’. A ustedes would be the plural version.
Let’s break down the following example so you have a better understanding of this expression:
| Spanish | English |
| Tú: Marco, ya traje tu cuaderno. ¡Gracias! | You: Marco, I already brought your notebook. |
| Tu amigo: ¡No, a ti! ¿Sí te ayudó? | Your friend: Oh, thank you. Did it help? |
- Marco lent you his notebook (this is his favor to you).
- You gave him back his notebook (even if you had to do it, Marco sees this as a favor to him, probably you gave it back sooner than he expected).
| Spanish | English |
| Tus amigos: ¡Muchas gracias! Estuvo todo muy sabroso. | Your friends: Thank you very much! Everything was delicious. |
| El mesero: A ustedes. ¡Que tengan buen día! | The waiter: Oh, thank you, guys. Have a nice day! |
- Your friends thank the waiter for the food and the service.
- The waiter says you’re welcome for the compliment and says thanks because your friends were customers and ate at his restaurant.
Take Note: ‘A ti’ is very polite and it’s used in a wide variety of situations. It’s very popular in small businesses (although this may be their work, we’re still thankful for their service and owners/workers are grateful for having customers), schools, work environments, etc.
6. No fue nada – It was nothing
No fue nada is the direct translation of ‘it was nothing’. Therefore, this is another expression that you can use to say you’re welcome in Spanish. Just like the English expression, no fue nada plays down the favor or the help you provided to someone else.
No fue nada, carnal, si necesitas el coche otra vez, dime
It was nothing, buddy. If you need the car again, let me know
¡No, no la dejes que me compre nada! Dile a tu hermana que no fue nada, en serio
No, don’t let her buy me anything! Tell your sister that it was nothing, really
| Spanish | English |
| Tu vecina: ¡Gracias por cuidar a los niños! | Your neighbor: Thank you for taking care of the kids! |
| Tú: No fue nada. Se portaron muy bien. | You: It was nothing. They were very good. |
7. Para servirle – Happy to help/ At your service
Para sevirle is a very formal way to say you’re welcome in Spanish. This phrase is exclusively used in work environment situations such as being at a restaurant, at an office or any other small business.
On top of expressing ‘you’re welcome’, ‘para servirle’ implies that the speaker is available or willing to keep helping the customer or a person with higher hierarchy in the company.
| Spanish | English |
| Dependiente: ¿Encontró todo lo que buscaba? | The clerk: Did you find everything you were looking for? |
| Cliente: Sí, muchas gracias. | Client: Yes, thank you very much. |
| Dependiente: Para servirle. ¡Que tenga buen día! | You: At your service. Have a nice day! |
| Spanish | English |
| Cliente: Señorita, ¿me puede sacar una copia de este documento? Gracias | Client: Miss, can you make me a copy of this file? Thanks |
| Recepcionista: Sí, claro, para servirle. | You: Of course, happy to help. |
Take Note: ‘Para servirle’ expresses obedience, as a result, it’s perfect for work environment contexts. We won’t use it in other situations unless you want to be ironic.
8. Es un placer / Fue un placer – It’s my pleasure / It was my pleasure
If you’re looking for a polite and formal way to say you’re welcome in Spanish, es un placer or fue un placer are two good options. These phrases are quite polite, therefore, speakers use them in all types of formal situations. ‘Es un placer’ or ‘fue un placer’ can be translated as ‘it’s my pleasure’ or ‘it was my pleasure’ respectively.
| Spanish | English |
| Tú: Maestra, aquí está mi proyecto. Gracias por darme más tiempo. | You: Prof, here is my project. Thank you for giving me more time. |
| Tu maestra: Fue un placer. ¿Ya te sientes mejor? | Your teacher: It was my pleasure. Are you feeling better? |
| Spanish | English |
| Tú: ¡Gracias por invitarme a cenar, señora! | You: Thank you for inviting me to dinner, mam! |
| La mamá de tu amigo: Es un placer. | Your friend’s mom: It’s my pleasure. |
Take Note: Although this expression is a common, formal way to say ‘you’re welcome’ in Spanish, it can also be used with other meanings. In order to know what meaning is being applied, you will need to pay attention to the context.
9. Cuando quieras / Cuando gustes – Anytime
Cuando quieras is a popular and informal way to say ‘you’re welcome’ in Spanish. This phrase may be one of the most casual expressions in this list. As a result, it’s perfect to use with friends and family. Cuando gustes is a slightly more formal variation of ‘cuando quieras’, but still is not appropriate for very formal situations. Both of these expressions mean ‘anytime’.
| Spanish | English |
| Tu amigo: Gracias por escucharme ayer. De verdad, lo necesitaba. | Your friend: Thank you for listening to me yesterday. I really needed it. |
| Tú: Cuando quieras. Espero que ya te sientas mejor. | You: Anytime, man. I hope you’re feeling better. |
| Spanish | English |
| Tú: ¡Gracias por invitarme a cenar, señora! | You: Thank you for inviting me to dinner, mam! |
| La mamá de tu amigo: Cuando gustes, corazón, aquí tienes tu casa. | Your friend’s mom: Anytime, honey, this is your house. |
10. Ni lo menciones – Don’t mention it
Ni lo menciones is another way to say ‘you’re welcome’ at the same time that you minimize the favor you did for someone else. This expression is the direct translation of ‘don’t mention it’. For some people, ‘ni lo menciones’ could be considered as formal; however, its use depends more on the person’s preference.
Charlie, ni lo menciones, ¿para qué son los amigos?
Charlie, don’t mention it, what are friends for?
No, ni lo menciones, ya sabes que en lo que te pueda ayudar
Don’t mention it, anything I can do to help
| Spanish | English |
| Tu amiga: ¡Gracias por la cena! Pero, ¿por qué no me dejaste pagar algo? | Your friend: Thanks for dinner! But why didn’t you let me pay? |
| Tú: Ni lo menciones. La próxima te toca a ti. | You: Don’t mention it. Next time it’s on you. |
11. Para eso estamos – That’s why we’re here
Para eso estamos is a common expression among friends and family. It means ‘that’s why we’re here’, as a result, it’s an affectionate way to say ‘you’re welcome’ in Spanish.
| Spanish | English |
| Tú: Oscar, aquí está el dinero que te debía. Muchas gracias. | You: Oscar, here is the money that I owed you. Thank you very much. |
| Tu amigo: Para eso estamos. Lo que necesites, amigo. | You: That’s why we’re here. Whatever you need my friend. |
| Spanish | English |
| Tú: ¡Gracias por practicar español conmigo, Mayra! | You: Thanks for practicing Spanish with me, Mayra. |
| Tu amiga: Para eso estamos. Si quieres practicar otra vez, me dices. | You: That’s why we’re here. If you want to practice again, let me know. |
Spanish speakers may combine this expression with other phrases from this list to make their sentence stronger.
No, ni lo menciones, Laura, para eso estamos
Don’t mention it, Laura, that’s why we’re here
Wrapping Up
Learning new and common expressions in Spanish will help you improve your command of the language. For that reason, we compiled 11 popular phrases to say you’re welcome in Spanish.
Remember that in most of these expressions, we add the word ‘No, …’ as a way to intensify and make our sentences more fluid. Adding this word is especially common in conversations, but it’s not mandatory.
Now, you’re ready to go out there and start using these phrases. On top of being very polite, you will impress your friends by using expressions other than de nada. 😉
Related Resource: How to Say Thank You in Spanish