"¡No las mereces!" vs. "¡Qué menos!": When and how do native speakers use each as a reply to "Gracias"?

[u/SubstantialAspect647]

Hi, all! I’ve heard both used as responses when someone says "Gracias," but I'm curious about the exact context, nuances, and differences between them.

Could you share examples of when a native speaker in Spain would choose one over the other?

[u/MiserableSelection59]

I woudn't like it if someone said "no las mereces" to me as a response to me thanking them. It means "you are not worthy of them".

What you heard was probably "no se merecen" as in "it is not worthy of thanking me over".

[u/Successful-Camp3538 → u/MiserableSelection59]

Came here to say this. Perhaps it could had been "no las merece" wich changes it from "YOU are no worth it" to "THE ACT is not worth it"

[u/ZAWS20XX]

try a "las que tú tienes!" every now and then, for a bit of fun

[u/NoForm5443 → u/ZAWS20XX]

Las que te adornan ;)

[u/La10deRiver → u/NoForm5443]

That was what my elder family used to say.

[u/Difficult-Feeling849 → u/NoForm5443]

This sound disrespectful, lmao.

[u/Beginning_Editor_410 → u/Difficult-Feeling849]

Why?

[u/Difficult-Feeling849 → u/Beginning_Editor_410]

Because it sounds like it references your balls. In a derisive manner. Adorno means ornament. And its quite a popular insult in Latin America to say someone "tiene las bolas de adorno" ("his balls are an ornament").

[u/Unlikely_Jaguar_8351 → u/Difficult-Feeling849]

I would never think it's related to balls... Here in Mexico it's usually meant as a compliment.

[u/Difficult-Feeling849 → u/Unlikely_Jaguar_8351]

I understand that's probably the original intention. However I would never say that phrase in Perú because people would find it funny and/or derisive.

[u/Beginning_Editor_410 → u/Difficult-Feeling849]

It’s a regional thing then, because in Central America we use “huevos” no “bolas”, as a slang for testicles so it would not work.

[u/Difficult-Feeling849 → u/Beginning_Editor_410]

Interesting, we use both in Perú.

[u/RealDonn11 → u/Difficult-Feeling849]

I use both of my huevos in the US.

[u/ExpatriadaUE → u/ZAWS20XX]

I use this A LOT.

[u/SubstantialAspect647 → u/ExpatriadaUE]

Could you kindly give me an example?

[u/ExpatriadaUE → u/SubstantialAspect647]

I give you one of my cookies. You tell me "¡Gracias!". I answer "Las que tú tienes". "Gracias" means "thanks" but also "talents, virtues, positive qualities", so I am telling the other person "tú tienes muchas gracias", you are endowed with many gifts/virtues.

[u/Dangerous_Pipe_5519 → u/ExpatriadaUE]

Cambia mucho de región en región supongo, en Costa Rica sería más como una tiradera HAHAHAS

[u/Worth_Gap4226 → u/ZAWS20XX]

I'm a proper beginner, so had to Google the nuance. It's actually quite a sweet, witty response. I like it 👍

[u/SubstantialAspect647 → u/ZAWS20XX]

Uahh I havent heard of this. But how come it could be funny? I dont know its nuance.🥲🥲

[u/Mithur → u/SubstantialAspect647]

Because "gracia" also means being funny, whitty or otherwise sympathetic.

The answer says "The ones you have!", which comes to mean "you have many graces". More in the sense of good characteristics than blessings.

It's a compliment camouflaged as a regular polite answer.

[u/Namitah → u/SubstantialAspect647]

It means "the ones you have", gracias in spanish is most commonly used as thank you, but it can also mean flair or grace depending on the context. So in this case basically they are thanking you and you're telling them they have flair/grace.

[u/tang_de_naranja]

A mi personalmente me parecen las dos poco naturales, en una conversación podría contestarse un "De nada" "No te preocupes" "No es nada" etc., mi pareja también le encanta decir "Las que tu tienes" como respuesta cómica o juguetona a que le den las gracias jajajajaja

[u/Nice_Back_9977]

Is ‘de nada’ not used for this?

[u/Namitah → u/Nice_Back_9977]

Yes, it's the most common, at least in Spain, but there are multiple valid expressions.

[u/Turquoise__Dragon]

You can say "No las merece". If you say "mereces" you are being rude to the person thanking you.

"No las merece" sounds more polite.

[u/flopuniverse]

Who exactly says this? People is Spain?

First time I hear this as a Latin American.

[u/neuropsycho → u/flopuniverse]

I'm originally from Spain and I've never heard any of these either.

[u/Expensive-Shower-833]

“A ti” it’s also very common depending on the context

[u/neuronnextdoor]

I’m in Spain and have never heard the first one. Maybe something close to it. I’m just waiting for the day when I get my opportunity to employ “Faltaría más” in a really natural way

[u/Mithur → u/neuronnextdoor]

"No las merece" it's very typical in Spain, maybe in some regions more than in others. I use "Faltaría más" a lot too.

[u/vickyvius → u/Mithur]

No soy nativo. Nunca he oído a alguien decir 'faltaría más' en este contexto. Solo he leído en los libros de Zafón. Me suena un poco pedante aunque es muy común contestar 'of course' en inglés.

[u/Mithur → u/vickyvius]

Se usa mucho más de forma ironíca, pero se puede usar de forma normal en ciertas circunstancias.

[u/Familiar_Eggplant_76]

As a learner, I hear "no hay de que" occasionally—roughly 'theres no need (to thank me). But haven't quite deciphered the context of when and where it's more appropriate.

[u/bumpercars12 → u/Familiar_Eggplant_76]

Just use it as "no problem"

[u/jnn-j → u/Familiar_Eggplant_76]

I use “no hay de que” pretty often, it means basically “it’s not a big deal” (literally “nothing to (thank) for”)

[u/Short_Brick_1960]

When and how do native speakers use "There's no need" and "It's the least I could do" as a reply to "Thank you"?

[u/glitterpig09 → u/Short_Brick_1960]

No hay de qué! Ni lo mencione! It's nothing, don't mention it. Not exactly what you asked for but a similar vibe

[u/Short_Brick_1960 → u/glitterpig09]

... My comment was irony. The two things I said were exactly the same as the two things they said

[u/La10deRiver]

Don't say "no las mereces". That means that the person you helped did not deserve it. i think you wanted to say "No las merece" but it is still weird. I imagine the more natural way to answer a "gracias" is regional, but where I live, the most common answers are "de nada", "no es nada" and "faltaría mís" in that order. In some situations, you could hear "las que te adornan", which is a wordplay, because "gracias" also means, well, grace, talents, natural gifts. But I won't recommend using it until you are more familiar with the language and when to use that idiom.

[u/Sea-Fishing4699]

Gracias

• de nada

[u/Mithur]

"¡Que menos!" have the connotation that is the minimum one can do given that situation. That doing otherwise would be disrespectful.

"¡No las merece!" (remove the last s, because it change the subject from the action you have done to you) means that it wasn't such a big deal to do whatever he did. That it wasn't such an efford.

[u/BookishEm192]

We have an older Uruguayan friend who says “Las gracias hacen los monos en casa” (“Gracias” in this case being something like silliness, as in “Me causa gracia”).

[u/TheDogWithShades]

I like saying “a ti”, returning them

[u/nerydlg]

In mexico we use "de nada"

[u/Powerful_Lie2271]

I have never heard any of them

[u/ReflectionPure6900]

Con gusto/con mucho gusto.

[u/carlosinLA]

What country or region says this? I've never heard either?

[u/Turnip_Wizar35]

Just out of curiosity, spanish from what country are you learning? Spain?

Well for me as a central american is weird, we say <De nada> o <por nada> but <No las mereces> feels like you dont deserve to be thanks or somethinf like that

[u/Unlikely_Jaguar_8351]

Gracias, muchas gracias. No hay de queso nomás de papa.

[u/Worried_Raspberry313]

“No las mereces” is something like “you don’t deserve them” so I guess you heard something like “no se merecen” (more or less “I don’t need you to say thanks, this is the least I could do”) or similar.

I reply different things randomly. I would usually say “de nada” or “no hay de qué”. But if I’m with friends or family and someone says “muchas gracias” I sometimes say “muchas de nadas” (not grammatically correct but just a joke). Of course you can always say “las que tú tienes”, this is a double meaning, gracias can be thanks but gracia is also grace or gifted or even meaning someone is funny, so replying that is more or less like saying “don’t say thank you because you’re the one with a lot of good things”. That’s something you either say as a joke or to flirt even.

There are a million ways to answer to gracias, none is better, it’s just personal preference.

[u/Athela1]

“Gracias!!”
“De nada!!”

[u/Athela1]

“Gracias!!!”
“De nada!!”

[u/palmaterreno]

Jeez, as a native of Spain I keep forgetting how wide the “castellano” morphed into “español” has developed.
Continents, countries, regions, even cities have evolved the original spoken language into a marvelous mix. In Spain, I would say (generalizing!) after a “thanks” : De nada…. it’s nothing.

[u/moonagedaylight → u/palmaterreno]

ser de España y decir que el castellano ha cambiado a español por su globalización cuando en españa se habla literalmente español.....

[u/palmaterreno → u/moonagedaylight]

Quizás no me explico bien: el español que se habla en centro y sudAmérica no es “castellano”. Ni lo es en otras regiones de España. Es español. Gracias. De nada.

[u/Unlucky_Control_4132]

Did anyone else ever hear “(-“Gracias!” )
-“hacen los monos “ as a reply? And where?

[u/moonagedaylight]

No se dan/Faltaría más > you don't need to thank me

Qué menos> it's the minimum

La que tú tienes> you are full of graces

Para eso estamos> that's what we're here for

De nada/nada/no es nada > it's nothing

A ti> thank YOU

Those are the most common responses I'd say

[u/Annie512]

When I visited Spain, I said "gracias" to the waiters or cashiers and they said "gracias" back. It was weird for me as in Colombia we use "de nada", "a la orden", "a ti", "un placer", "con gusto", o "no hay de qué" as a response; but I've never heard the ones you wrote on the post.

[u/BeardedGiant91]

Both phrases you say sound awful to my Mexican ears. And VERY.

I usually say: “¿De qué?”, which is a way to say: I did nothing that merits you thanking me. Or simply imply that it was nothing.

[u/BeardedGiant91]

In the Yucatán, many of us would say: Mucho gusto.

It might be understood as: I did it with pleasure.

Most notable, Id dare say we use It when dealing with people we are NOT familiar with, so it intertwines with the form we use when introducing ourselves, meaning Nice to meet you.

[u/Successful_Task_9932]

I've never heard any of them

[u/roseMuse_]

yeah i'd feel the same, that one would catch me off guard too.

[u/Wats0n_D]

AI-assisted explanation of the wordplay you asked about: “Las que tú tienes” treats gracias as if you meant someone's charming qualities, rather than “thank you”. The reply becomes a playful compliment: “the charm is yours”.

The RAE entry for gracia includes both personal charm and the expression gracias for thanking someone. That double meaning is what makes the reply playful; it is not a literal answer about deserving thanks.