Results 1 to 10 of 10
Like Tree8Likes
  • 1 Post By easybreakable
  • 6 Post By Barb_D
  • 1 Post By emsr2d2

Thread: "No problem"

  1. #1
    wotcha's Avatar
    wotcha is online now Member
    • Member Info
      • Member Type:
      • English Teacher
      • Native Language:
      • Korean
      • Home Country:
      • South Korea
      • Current Location:
      • South Korea
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Posts
    409
    Teacher

    Default "No problem"

    We reply to 'Thank you" like...

    You're welcome
    Don't mention it
    Thank you
    My pleasure
    No problem

    We also answer to "I'm sorry" by saying....

    It's okay
    That's alright/ fine.
    Don't worry about it
    No worries
    No problem

    My questions here are;

    1) Is "No problem" a reply to both "Thank you" and "Sorry"?

    2) Can we say "Not at all" in reply to "Than you" as well as "Sorry"?

    3) What kinds of replies do you know more? ^^;

  2. #2
    English Freak's Avatar
    English Freak is offline Member
    • Member Info
      • Member Type:
      • English Teacher
      • Native Language:
      • Persian
      • Home Country:
      • Iran
      • Current Location:
      • Iran
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Posts
    169
    Teacher

    Default Re: "No problem"

    Quote Originally Posted by wotcha View Post
    We reply to 'Thank you" like...

    You're welcome
    Don't mention it
    Thank you
    My pleasure
    No problem

    We also answer to "I'm sorry" by saying....

    It's okay
    That's alright/ fine.
    Don't worry about it
    No worries
    No problem

    My questions here are;

    1) Is "No problem" a reply to both "Thank you" and "Sorry"? Yes, but not that common.

    2) Can we say "Not at all" in reply to "Than you" as well as "Sorry"? No, we can't say "not at all" in response to "thank you".

    3) What kinds of replies do you know more? ^^; I think it depends on the situation. But the most common answers to "sorry" are "no problem" or " don't worry". And the answer to "thank you" is "you're welcome"
    EF

  3. #3
    easybreakable's Avatar
    easybreakable is offline Member
    • Member Info
      • Member Type:
      • Academic
      • Native Language:
      • Arabic
      • Home Country:
      • Libya
      • Current Location:
      • Libya
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Posts
    214
    Teacher

    Arrow Re: "No problem"

    Quote Originally Posted by English Freak View Post
    2) Can we say "Not at all" in reply to "Than you" as well as "Sorry"? No, we can't say "not at all" in response to "thank you".



    Surely, we can say it, not at all- WordWeb dictionary definition
    5jj likes this.

  4. #4
    emsr2d2 is online now VIP Member
    • Member Info
      • Member Type:
      • English Teacher
      • Native Language:
      • British English
      • Home Country:
      • UK
      • Current Location:
      • UK
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Posts
    9,017
    Teacher

    Default Re: "No problem"

    "Not at all" is a perfectly acceptable, if perhaps just a little formal and old-fashioned, response to "Thank you".

  5. #5
    Barb_D's Avatar
    Barb_D is offline Moderator
    • Member Info
      • Member Type:
      • Other
      • Native Language:
      • American English
      • Home Country:
      • United States
      • Current Location:
      • United States
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Posts
    11,625

    Default Re: "No problem"

    I have to go on record to state my objection to "no problem" as a response to "thank you." Yes it's common but I find it rude and graceless.

    When a server in a restaurant gives me my meal and I say "thank you" and I get "no problem" as the response I have to fight the urge to say "I know it's not a problem. In fact it's what you're getting paid to do."

    A local fast food place has trained their employees to always respond with "It's my pleasure." I appreciate that.
    Ouisch, Raymott, emsr2d2 and 3 others like this.
    I'm not a teacher, but I write for a living. Please don't ask me about 2nd conditionals, but I'm a safe bet for what reads well in (American) English.

  6. #6
    emsr2d2 is online now VIP Member
    • Member Info
      • Member Type:
      • English Teacher
      • Native Language:
      • British English
      • Home Country:
      • UK
      • Current Location:
      • UK
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Posts
    9,017
    Teacher

    Default Re: "No problem"

    I agree with BarbD. Over the last few years, "No problem" and "Sure" have become quite common responses to "Thank you" and I don't like either of them.

    My personal favourite is "You're welcome".

    Of course, being British, quite frequently the response is "No, no, thank you" which can lead to a pointless exchange of "Thank you"s which goes on and on!

  7. #7
    Tdol is online now Editor, UsingEnglish.com
    • Member Info
      • Member Type:
      • English Teacher
      • Native Language:
      • British English
      • Home Country:
      • UK
      • Current Location:
      • Philippines
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Posts
    35,342
    Teacher

    Default Re: "No problem"

    I don't like No problem there either.

  8. #8
    5jj's Avatar
    5jj
    5jj is online now Moderator
    • Member Info
      • Member Type:
      • English Teacher
      • Native Language:
      • British English
      • Home Country:
      • England
      • Current Location:
      • Czech Republic
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    16,996
    Teacher

    Default Re: "No problem"

    My generation (born pre-1950) of speakers of BrE has had to learn to make a response. A small smile of acknowledgement was all that was required if the thanks were for something small. If you had put some time, effort or money into what you were being thanked for, then 'not at all' was the best response. 'Don't mention it' was possible', but anything else was considered infra dig.

    Infra dig
    Context is always important; labelling is rarely important.


  9. #9
    henz988 is offline Junior Member
    • Member Info
      • Member Type:
      • Student or Learner
      • Native Language:
      • Chinese
      • Home Country:
      • China
      • Current Location:
      • China
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Posts
    98

    Default Re: "No problem"

    Quote Originally Posted by Barb_D View Post
    I have to go on record to state my objection to "no problem" as a response to "thank you." Yes it's common but I find it rude and graceless.

    When a server in a restaurant gives me my meal and I say "thank you" and I get "no problem" as the response I have to fight the urge to say "I know it's not a problem. In fact it's what you're getting paid to do."

    A local fast food place has trained their employees to always respond with "It's my pleasure." I appreciate that.
    Suppose you're touring in a foreign country and is invited by a local to take a picture with him.What lies behind your mind if you response with "No problem" to his "Thank you"?

    Thank you.

  10. #10
    emsr2d2 is online now VIP Member
    • Member Info
      • Member Type:
      • English Teacher
      • Native Language:
      • British English
      • Home Country:
      • UK
      • Current Location:
      • UK
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Posts
    9,017
    Teacher

    Default Re: "No problem"

    Quote Originally Posted by henz988 View Post
    Suppose you're touring in a foreign country and is invited by a local to take a picture with him.What lies behind your mind if you response with "No problem" to his "Thank you"?

    Thank you.
    I'm not sure I understand the question. I'm trying to work out the dialogue:

    Local: Would you like to have your photo taken with me?
    Me: Yes please.
    Local: OK, let's give the camera to someone else.
    Me: OK. I'm ready.
    (Photo of you and the local is taken)
    Local: Thank you.
    Me: No problem.

    There's nothing wrong with that exchange, but as a lot of us have said, we simply don't like "No problem" as a response to "Thank you". It's not wrong, we just don't like it.
    5jj likes this.

Similar Threads

  1. [Grammar] problem with "rise" and "arise"
    By heyyjamie in forum Ask a Teacher
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 21-Nov-2009, 17:22
  2. Replies: 1
    Last Post: 29-Jan-2009, 14:01
  3. Do you walk "past" or "passed" a problem
    By Grumps in forum Ask a Teacher
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 26-Oct-2007, 12:01
  4. "PREPOSITIONAL PROBLEM" and "SUSPENSION POINTS"
    By Jesule in forum Ask a Teacher
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 30-Apr-2006, 15:29
  5. Replies: 1
    Last Post: 24-Nov-2004, 07:24

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0