Mercy

Almost everyone knows that the French word “merci” means “thank you.” But how do you express the idea of mercy or compassion in French, rather than thanking someone?

“Merci” is a feminine noun. “La merci” means “the mercy.” It refers to mercy in the sense of power, not in the sense of compassion.

• à la merci de quelqu’un (at someone’s mercy)
• sans merci (merciless)

“Pitié” is another feminine noun that means “pity” or “mercy” in the sense of compassion, not of power.

• éprouver de la pitié pour quelqu’un (to feel pity for someone)
• il me fait pitié (I feel sorry for him)
• sans pitié (merciless, mercilessly)

“Merci” is also a masculine noun. As a masculine noun, it means “thank you” or “thanks.”

• mille mercis (thank you so much, literally “a thousand thanks”)
• un grand merci à Laurent (a big thank you to Laurent)