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As I am just starting out, I have come across many ways of saying "You are welcome", and I would like to find the most gracious (or most traditional) way of saying it without being too "breezy". Here are a few that I have found, with an approximate translation next to each. I did not include the "no worries" rendition, since I find it dismissive in English, although it is widely used. Also, are there any others that are generally used that I have missed?

No affatto - Not at all
Prego - ?
Non c'è di che - There is nothing to thank
È stato un piacere - It was a pleasure
Siete molto benvenuti- You are very welcome

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  • If you go in Australia "no worries" is the preferred way to reply to "thanks"
    – Erik vanDoren
    Feb 4, 2016 at 19:39

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Prego - ?

Prego: for the origins of the word you may want to have a look at this.

No affatto - Not at all

We don't use «no affatto», but rather di niente or di nulla or (more colloquial) macché, which is similar to non c'è di che. Even more colloquial is Scherzi!, which can be literally translated as are you joking?, to express minimal effort (probably similar in meaning to don't mention it).

A more polite way is si figuri (formal), or figurati, from the verb figurare, which is the form I prefer.

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You can also find "non c'è problema", "ma si figuri", "figurati", "figuriamoci" (the "ma" can be used or not), "di nulla"/ "di niente", "ci mancherebbe". The "no affatto" is also used sometimes simply as "affatto". Sometimes in English, you can hear "my pleasure" used as "you're welcome", in this case translate that as the " è stato un piacere", as you listed, rather than the literal "piacere mio". The go-to reply to "grazie" is the simple "prego" you can basically use that in every situation. Note that we use the word "prego" even when an English speaker uses "please" i.e. "prego, entri" - "please, come in", like when you let someone go ahead of you "prego" - "please", or when please is used as "pardon?" like when you want somebody to repeat something you didn't catch. The word "benvenuti", while I wouldn't say its completely wrong, isn't much used in this context, I probably heard it twice in all my life used that way and I think that it would steer you in the wrong direction when you will translate the different meanings of the English "welcome".

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  • downvoted within 30 seconds from posting and without a comment?? geez...
    – Erik vanDoren
    Feb 4, 2016 at 15:08
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    Si usa veramente "No, affatto" o "Affatto!" per rispondere a un "Grazie!"? Faccio la domanda perché non li ho mai sentiti, veramente non lo so.
    – Charo ♦
    Feb 4, 2016 at 18:18
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    Personalmente non li ho mai sentiti, @Charo.
    – DaG
    Feb 4, 2016 at 18:23
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    Alla lista potremmo aggiungere "che vuoi che sia"
    – Erik vanDoren
    Feb 4, 2016 at 19:22
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    I've never heard “no, affatto” as a reply to “grazie”. Maybe “di niente” or “di nulla”.
    – egreg ♦
    Feb 5, 2016 at 10:44

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