I have heard many native speakers in the United states answer with a brief and cold "aha" when someone says "thank you". Is it really appropriate to answer like that? I myself feel offended when I receive such a response from a teacher or someone I don't know.
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1It seems to depend on the intonation and facial expression. It may also be a wave of dismissal, like the Spanish response De nada (literally, 'of nothing'), or the American Don't mention it, Think nothing of it, It was nothing). Manners are different in every culture; no doubt some of yours are bothering Americans, too, but they're too polite to mention it. – John Lawler Mar 19 '15 at 16:14
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2Oh, and I don't understand your last sentence at all; it appears to be put together from parts that don't fit. – John Lawler Mar 19 '15 at 16:14
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1Related: How do native English speakers respond to “Thank you”?, Different ways to say “you're welcome”, Can “Sure” be used to respond to “Thanks”?, and What happened to “You're welcome?” – choster Mar 19 '15 at 16:58
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Further related: What is the meaning of “don't mention it” (in response to “thank you”)?, Is it right to say “Thank you” in the response of “Thank you”?, Is “not at all” still alive and doing well? – choster Mar 19 '15 at 16:58
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In addition to the previous examples of "don't mention it", I often times hear people say "Yep" or "You betcha". It's an idiomatic expression. – SUM GUY Mar 19 '15 at 19:20
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I think what you are actually hearing is a short, simple "uh-huh", which is intended as an acknowledgement that they have received your thanks and consider the exchange complete. It is not intended to be rude; in fact, ignoring someone who says "thanks" is much ruder. It's very informal, and is probably mostly used when whatever answer they gave that prompted you to thank them was a small, barely noteworthy thing.
Other utterances that you may hear include:
- Sure
- yup
- you bet
- no prob
- mm-hmm (or even just mmm)
- (a head nod)
Edited [The original post asked for ah, not aha.]
To a peer or a social inferior, aha may indeed be appropriate in casual situations— in fact, a mere mmm or wave of the hand would be sufficient. It is an acknowledgement of the thanks, but simultaneously a dismissal of it as if it were unnecessary.
I almost never hear you're welcome, the conventional response, except in more formal situations or where the respondent is expressing an extra level of deference (for instance, if I thank a waitress for her attentive service).
Original
I don't know any Americans who would say ah (/ä/), but I know some who might dismiss it with a mmm or uh-huh or eh (/e/), accompanied by a nod or shrug or wave of the hand, in casual exchanges with a peer.
Note that this eh is different from eh (/eɪ/) the interjection used to express surprise or seek agreement. It rhymes with, and can sometimes be interchanged with, meh.
There are numerous ways an English speaker may reply to a "thank-you" and the intent is almost never to offend; however, due to cultural differences, it seems that responses like eh or no problem seem to offend some.
The eh-er is trying to express that whatever it is that inspired the expression of thanks was a small matter, and that the thankful person should therefore not feel that he or she has any obligations on account of it, thus don't worry about it, it's no big [deal], no worries, no bother, not at all, don't mention it, and so on.
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I would not use meh to say thank you unless what I offered was of questionable value. To me, meh is kind of shorthand for "Yeah, well . . ." – Robusto Mar 19 '15 at 16:45
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@Robusto Not ever for thank you, but certainly for you're welcome. Naw or Nahh is another. – choster Mar 19 '15 at 16:47
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Yeah, I gather from some Millennial communications that I've intercepted that "meh" is dismissive, and would therefore not be a polite response to "Thank you". – Hot Licks Mar 19 '15 at 17:14
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I don't see an un-hunh or a sure as a dismissal- rather it's a succinct acknowledgement or acceptance of the thanks given. – Spehro Pefhany Apr 27 '15 at 14:18
I tell you that aha is much more respectable than no response at all , it is American normal way of responding to thank you , I am myself not originally American , I notice that mostly non-Americans are offended by this normal aha , I had a non-American friend who was going really crazy if americans said aha after he said thanks ...I am sure if he had a compilation video of how americans usually respond to thank you , he would be no more mad at hearing aha
