The other day, I held open a door for a grandma at the grocery store. She said, “Thank you.”
I responded, “Yeah!” and then immediately began an internal battle with myself about how yeah was an even worse response than no problem and how could I be so lax with my language in the presence of an elder?!
Growing up, we were all taught that you’re welcome is the appropriate response to thank you. That’s all well and good, but what about the fact that thank you is the formal version of just thanks or even a friendly wave?
Each response to thank you has a different connotation and can be used in different circumstances. Let’s break it down.
You’re Welcome
We know this one. It’s appropriate in nearly every circumstance and nobody will yell at you for using it. But if you want to get into the nitty gritty vibes, keep reading.
You’re welcome seems to fall out of favor because it can imply that the person expects to be thanked, that they believe their effort should be recognized, or that deserve recognition for having gone out of their way to bestow a kindness or favor. When I go above and beyond or out of my routine, I will respond with you’re welcome — jumpstarting a car or driving someone to the airport, for example.
But when a favor was no trouble, you’re welcome can seem arrogant, which is why people tend to find friendlier alternatives.
No Problem
Young people tend to get flak for responding to thank you with no problem, and this strikes me as a uniquely English-language quibble.
Take a look at Spanish: one response to gracias is de nada, which literally means of nothing; no hay problema is also acceptable, meaning there isn’t a problem. Japanese has two similar versions, いえいえ and とんでもない, which mean no no and ridiculous, respectively.
Why, then, is no problem such a big deal?
It quite literally means that the favor was not a problem; the person did not have to go out of their way to help you — holding the door when I’m already nearby or picking up an item at the grocery store when I’m already shopping there, for example.
If you’re set on avoiding no problem, the phrase it’s no trouble works just as well, sounds just a little fancier, and is less likely to get you a “kids these days” eyeroll from an elder.
Yeah
This is probably the simplest (and potentially most controversial) response to thank you. But it’s just a snappier alternative to of course, which many would consider perfectly polite. Use it wisely, but don’t feel like you can never respond with yeah or yep or sure.
And there you have it. Thanks for reading! 😉
Amber Sorensen 