bienvenue

welcome

“Mesdames et messieurs, je vous souhaite la bienvenue.” — Ladies and gentlemen, I bid you welcome.

Related: bienvenue au club, prime de bienvenue

Literally, “well come”, from Old French bienvenue; compare also bienvenu (without the -e). Presumably a calque of an Old Frankish term, from Proto-Germanic *wiljakwemô (“a welcome guest or arrival”), from which many modern Germanic forms descend, as English welcome. Interjection sense #2 is a recent semantic loan from English you're welcome found only in Canada; English “you’re welcome” dates from early 20th century, French Canadian usage correspondingly later.

welcome!; you're welcome (as an answer to thank you)

“Bienvenue à Paris!” — Welcome to Paris!

Literally, “well come”, from Old French bienvenue; compare also bienvenu (without the -e). Presumably a calque of an Old Frankish term, from Proto-Germanic *wiljakwemô (“a welcome guest or arrival”), from which many modern Germanic forms descend, as English welcome. Interjection sense #2 is a recent semantic loan from English you're welcome found only in Canada; English “you’re welcome” dates from early 20th century, French Canadian usage correspondingly later.