COURTESY
Civility Politeness
(Conventional——Apology)
I am afraid I am trespassing on your time
I beg your pardon for intruding
I hope my coming will not put you to any inconvenience
I offer my most sincere apology
I beg you will excuse me
I regret it more than I can express
Excuse me for having detained you so long
I warmly regret being unable to oblige you
I must apologize for my stupidity
This is quite unforgivable, I fear
I am very awkward, pray forgive me
I regret that I cannot assist you
It is with no small regret that——
I am exceedingly sorry that your request comes to me at a time when I am so pressed by my own affairs, that I cannot, with any convenience, comply with it
Pardon my indiscretion
(Conventional——Assistance)
I shall be very happy to assist you
I have had great pleasure in being useful to you
Permit me to serve you in any way I can
May I give you some assistance
If you can assist me I shall take it as an extraordinary kindness
(Conventional——At Weddings)
I wish you much joy
Let me wish you every happiness
I wish to offer you my heartiest congratulations
I congratulate you heartily on the good fortune that is yours to-day
Kindly accept my sincerest good wishes
It is impossible to wish you any greater good fortune than you have had to-day
Please accept my congratulations
Hearty congratulations
(Conventional——Condolence)
Kindly accept my sincere esteem and sympathy
I beg to offer my profound sympathy
We all share in your loss, and you have my deepest sympathy
I sympathize with you in your great affliction
I wish to assure you of my heartfelt sympathy
I could not refrain from assuring you in person of my sincerest sympathy
We can all splendidly trust God in life, no matter what its vicissitudes, if we but feel that we are drawn nearer to Him
Please accept my sincere condolences
(Conventional——Congratulatory)
I cannot refrain from expressing my admiring appreciation of——
You are to be congratulated upon the——
I wish to congratulate you, and express my appreciation of——
Will you permit me to make an acknowledgment of appreciation to you for——
Permit me to make appreciative acknowledgments of——
Please accept my congratulations upon your——
Since the news of the joy that has happened to you reached me, I have been anxious to write you a word of congratulation
I congratulate you on the very fortunate opportunity which presents itself
I had the great pleasure of hearing that——
I take this opportunity of assuring you that——
It is with great pleasure I hear of your safe arrival
(Conventional——Greeting)
It is a great pleasure to me to welcome you
I am delighted to see you here
I am delighted to make your acquaintance though indeed I seem to know a great deal about you through——
I am mightily glad to see you
I am so pleased to see you
How happy we are to see you
Welcome once more
This is a most unexpected pleasure
(Conventional——On Leaving)
This has been a delightful occasion
This has been a most enjoyable evening
I want to make my parting compliments
Many thanks for your kind hospitality
I will not forget this agreeable day
I am under the greatest obligation to you for a charming evening
I have enjoyed this little glimpse of you very much
This has been a most agreeable experience
It has been delightful to have you with us
I hope you may be persuaded to come again
I wish you were not going quite so soon
Come to see us again before you leave town
I trust you will repeat this experience at some future date
(Conventional——On Being Introduced)
I am very happy to meet you
It is a great pleasure to meet you
I am delighted to know you
I am sure the pleasure is mine also
You are most kind
It is a great pleasure
I was not clever enough to catch your name
(Conventional——Parting, On Chance Meeting)
It is a very great pleasure to have met you
I hope we may meet again
I hope to see you again soon
I must wish you good morning
I want to cultivate your acquaintance
I beg to present my compliments to all your family
I hope you will favor us with a call
I wish you a pleasant journey
Kindly convey my warmest regards to——
Be so good as to present my most respectful compliments to——
It has given me great pleasure to have this chat with you
Present my remembrances to——
Remember me very kindly to——
I hope we shall meet under happier circumstances
(Conventional——Request)
Could I interrupt you for a minute
I shall be glad if you will join me
I wish you would take it into serious consideration
Would you be good enough to give him a message for me
Please do not give yourself that trouble
Please accept this as a slight token of my gratitude
Will you not do me the favor to tell me——
I beg you to excuse me
If you don’t mind, I——
Let us have the pleasure of hearing you——
(Conventional——Request to Accompany Another and Response)
May I have the pleasure of your company
May I accompany you
I like good company, may I go with you
May I go along with you
With very great pleasure
Most assuredly
With pleasure
I shall feel highly honored
I shall be very happy of your company
(Conventional——Response to Compliment)
I am delighted to hear you say so
I am delighted to have your approbation
That is very gracious
Thank you, I appreciate your kindly thought of me
It is good of you to say so
(Conventional——Thanks)
I trust I shall have an opportunity of returning your kindness
You anticipate my wishes
Many thanks for doing me the honor to inquire
This is extremely kind of you
My best thanks are due to you for——
I cannot tell you how much I appreciate it
I thank you very cordially
You are very obliging
I am deeply indebted to you for your kindness
I beg your acceptance of my very hearty thanks for——
Permit me to thank you
(Conventional——Shakespeare)
Apology
Excuse my manners, that so neglected you.
Othello, V., 1
Pardon, my haste made me unmannerly.
King Henry VIII., IV., 2
I am heartily sorry that——
All’s Well that Ends Well, IV., 3
Congratulatory
Many years of sunshine days.
King Richard II., IV., 1
Take from my mouth the wish of happy years.
Prosperous life, long and ever happy.
King Henry VIII., V., 5
I wish thee happiness.
Pericles, I., 1
Many, many, merry days.
The Merry Wives of Windsor, V., 5
Greeting
You are very welcome.
Cymbeline, I., 6
I am very glad to see you.
As You Like It, III., 3
A hundred thousand welcomes.
Our old and faithful friend, we are glad to see you.
Measure for Measure, V., 1
Your presence makes us rich.
King Richard II., II., 3
Although the last, not least.
Happily met.
The Taming of the Shrew, IV., 5
Good morrow to this fair assembly.
Much Ado about Nothing, V., 4
Heartily well met, and most glad of your company.
Coriolanus, IV., 3
Inquiry
Whither bound?
Cymbeline, III., 6
Why did you stir so early?
Pericles, III., 2
Are you the lady of the house?
Twelfth Night, I., 5
How goes the world?
Timon of Athens, I., 1
Parting
I thank you for your company.
As You Like It, III., 2
I am heartily glad I came.
As You Like It, I., 1
We leave you now with better company.
The Merchant of Venice, I., 1
I take leave with many thousand thanks.
III. King Henry VI., III., 2
Fair thoughts and happy hours attend on you.
The Merchant of Venice, III., 4
Bear my greetings to——
Julius Cæsar, II., 2
Let us take ceremonious leave——of our several friends.
King Richard II., I., 3
The heavens give safety to your purposes,
Lead forth and bring you back in happiness.
Measure for Measure, I., 1
I desire more acquaintance of you.
The Merry Wives of Windsor, II., 2
Request
Bear me company.
The Two Gentlemen of Verona, IV., 3
Will you dine with me?
Julius Cæsar, I., 2
Let me have audience for a word or two.
As You Like It, V., 4
Commend me to him.
Timon of Athens, I., 1
Trouble yourself no further.
Othello, IV., 3
Which is the readiest way to the house of——
The Taming of the Shrew, I., 2
If along with us, we shall be joyful of thy company.
The Taming of the Shrew, IV., 5
Come home with me to supper; and I’ll lay a plot shall show us all a merry day.
King Richard II., IV., 1
Go on before——I’ll presently attend you.
The Two Gentlemen of Verona, II., 4
Will not your honours bear me company?
I. King Henry VI., II., 2
I’ll keep you company.
Coriolanus, II., 3
Response
What your pleasure is, shall satisfy me.
III. King Henry VI., III., 2
I count myself in nothing else so happy as in a soul remembering my good friends.
King Richard II., II., 3
I’ll eat nothing; I thank you as much as though I did.
The Merry Wives of Windsor, I., 1
Of much less value is my company than your good words.
King Richard II., II., 3
I enjoyed the golden dew of sleep.
King Richard III., IV., 1
Tell him this from me, I count it one of my greatest afflictions that I cannot pleasure such an honourable gentleman.
Timon of Athens, III., 2
Thanks
For your many courtesies I thank you.
Much Ado about Nothing, V., 1
I can no other answer make but thanks and thanks.
Twelfth Night, III., 3
It is an honour that I dream not of.
Romeo and Juliet, I., 3
I thank you for your wish, and am well pleased to wish it back on you.
The Merchant of Venice, III., 4
I thank thee for thy care and honest pains.
Much Ado about Nothing, V., 1
With more than common thanks I will receive it.
Timon of Athens, I., 2
I humbly thank him, and thank you all.
Titus Andronicus, V., 1
A thousand thanks.
The Taming of the Shrew, II., 1
Many and hearty thankings to you.
Measure for Measure, V., 1
Hearty thanks.
King Lear, IV., 6
I thank you, you are always my good friend.
King Henry VIII., V., 3