French Phrase
Merci d'être venu aujourd'hui.
Meaning
This phrase is a polite and common way to express gratitude to someone for their presence on a specific day. It literally translates to 'Thanks for being come today,' highlighting the past action of coming. It's used to acknowledge someone's effort or time spent to attend an event or visit.
When to use
You would typically use this phrase at the end of a meeting, a visit, an event, or any gathering where someone has made an effort to attend. It's suitable for both formal and informal contexts, depending on the overall tone and relationship with the person.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Mercid'êtrevenuaujourd'hui
Merci de...
'Merci de' is used when expressing thanks for an action (followed by an infinitive or a noun). 'Merci pour' is used when thanking for a specific object or favor. Here, 'être venu' is an action, so 'de' is correct.
être venu (Passé Composé)
This is the passé composé (past tense) of the verb 'venir' (to come), formed with the auxiliary verb 'être' and the past participle 'venu'. Verbs of movement like 'venir' typically use 'être' in compound tenses.
Accord du participe passé (venu)
The past participle 'venu' must agree in gender and number with the subject when used with 'être'. If the person addressed is female, it would be 'venue'; if plural, 'venus' (masculine plural) or 'venues' (feminine plural).
aujourd'hui
This adverb means 'today'. It's a common time indicator that specifies when the action of coming took place.
🗨In Conversation
La réunion est terminée. Merci d'être venu aujourd'hui.
The meeting is over. Thank you for coming today.
De rien, c'était un plaisir.
You're welcome, it was a pleasure.
✕Common Mistakes
Merci pour être venu aujourd'hui.
The correct preposition after 'Merci' when followed by an infinitive is 'de', not 'pour'.
Merci d'être venu aujourd'hui. (said by a woman)
The past participle 'venu' must agree in gender and number with the subject when used with 'être'. If the speaker is addressing a woman, it should be 'venue'.
Merci d'avoir venu aujourd'hui.
The verb 'venir' (to come) uses the auxiliary verb 'être' in compound tenses, not 'avoir'.
↔Alternatives
Je vous remercie d'être venu(e) aujourd'hui.
I thank you for coming today.
Merci de votre présence aujourd'hui.
Thank you for your presence today.
Merci d'être là.
Thank you for being here.
Cultural Tip
In French culture, expressing gratitude is very important and often done with specific phrases. 'Merci' is fundamental. The use of 'vous' (formal 'you') is often preferred in professional or less familiar contexts, even when the phrase itself doesn't explicitly contain 'vous'. This phrase is a standard polite closing, showing appreciation for someone's time and effort, which is highly valued.