“You’re Welcome” Or “Your Welcome”: Which One Is Correct?

The phrase you’re welcome is very commonly used when being polite. But it’s a common point of confusion. When someone says “thank you” to us, why do we answer with “you’re welcome” and not “your welcome”?

In this article, we’ll break down the difference between you’re welcome and your welcome and explain why you’re welcome is used as the polite response to the phrase thank you. 

you’re welcome or your welcome

The word your is the possessive form of the pronoun you. It’s used to mean that something belongs to the singular or plural you, as in Your cleats are in your bag by the front door. 

The word you’re is a contraction that is short for the phrase you are. The phrase you’re welcome is commonly used as a shortening of the phrase you are welcome, which is often used in response to the phrase thank you. 

In this situation the word welcome is used to mean “under no obligation.” Let’s say you give someone a pen so they can fill out a form. They thank you for the pen, and you respond, “You’re welcome.” You’re telling them that you don’t expect anything in return for giving them the pen and that you did it simply out of kindness or politeness. 

But why do we want you’re? It’s because you’re contains the linking verb are, which connects the subject you to the subject complement welcome. The phrase you’re welcome is also used in other contexts in which welcome is being used as an adjective, as in I don’t think you’ll beat her in a race, but you’re welcome to try. 

Of course, it is possible that the phrase your welcome may be used in a sentence to express possession of the welcome. In this context, the word welcome is typically used as a noun rather than as an adjective, as in Your welcome was very hospitable—thank you for making us feel like part of the family.