44

I know "No, thank you" means rejection.

Me: Hey, Bob. You want some drink?

Bob: No, thank you.

But I was involved with this kind of conversation

Me: Thanks, Mr Jordan for teaching me.

Mr.Jordan: No! Thank you!

Did he reject my thanks? Does this mean that it's something like No Problem, or is he trying to say that I'm the one who should thank you!. Or has he had enough of me? He has taught me for 5 years, so we have a good relationship (I hope).

Improve this question
2
  • 2
    I think your response would better be written: Mr. Jordan: No! Thank you. Emphasis is on the you. @StoneyB's answer is correct. It is a very pleasant response to receive.
    – Spehro Pefhany
    Sep 13, 2014 at 15:36
  • 7
    The "no" means "No need to thank me." Mr Jordan is thanking you for the opportunity to teach you (or whatever).
    – Drew
    Sep 13, 2014 at 16:54

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
68

He is saying that you don't owe him thanks, he owes you thanks. He clearly regards you as the sort of student who makes teaching rewarding. He may even imply that he has learned from you, from the sorts of questions you have asked which made him think about things which he took for granted.

Improve this answer
2
  • 11
    +1. In some sense, he is rejecting your thanks (by suggesting it was not necessary to thank him) but this is not rude; it is a concept that shows up in many polite responses to thanks: "Don't mention it." "No problem." "It was nothing." It doesn't really mean that you shouldn't thank them or that they don't appreciate your thanks.
    – Nate Eldredge
    Sep 13, 2014 at 19:40
  • 4
    You can think of his response in much the same way another common exchange: "It was a pleasure meeting you." response: "No, the pleasure is all mine". @stoneyb is correct, your teacher thinks it is him who should thank you for being such a great student. The pleasure was all his.
    – ThaDon
    Sep 14, 2014 at 2:35

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .