Why do people say “That’s so nice of you” or “That’s so kind of you”? If you’re not acquainted with it, this can be a confusing expression. The following article explains the phrase’s meaning, and when it should be used.
What Does “That’s So Nice Of You” Mean?
“That’s so nice of you” is an expression generally used to thank someone for something that they have done, usually in service of the speaker. It is a way of praising the person, by stating that the act they did exhibits their kindness as a person.
The sentence “That’s so nice of you” is a shortened version of a full sentence that would presumably explain the context.
The structure can be thought of as “It was so nice of you to (do action)”, but people say “That’s so nice of you” for the sake of brevity and simplicity.
Examples Of How To Use “That’s So Nice Of You” In A Sentence
Here are some example sentences that showcase proper use of the expression and its variations:
- You helped me out with my luggage, that was so nice of you.
- It was so nice of you to help her out with her Spanish homework.
- The fact that you finished their essay was very nice of you.
- You finished the construction, that’s so kind of you.
- It’s so kind of them to help out with the project in the first place.
- That’s very nice of you, I appreciate the help.
- She came over when I was sad, that was so sweet of her.
- It’s so nice of you to come over today in this poor weather to help.
- He came and helped us, it’s so nice of him to do that.
- You didn’t give up ever, that’s so nice of you.
Is It “That’s So Nice Of You” Or “It’s So Nice Of You”?
Both “That’s so nice of you” and “It’s so nice of you” are grammatically correct expressions, just with slightly different meanings.
You’d use “That’s so nice of you” to refer to an action that was already revealed in the conversation, while you’d use “It’s so nice of you” when you’re about to explain what the action was.
Compare and contrast:
- You helped me with my homework. That’s so nice of you.
- It’s so nice of you to help me with my homework.
Both are grammatically correct, just used in slightly different ways.
Do “So Nice Of You” And “So Kind Of You” Mean The Same?
Yes, “So nice of you” and “So kind of you” mean the same thing. They can be used interchangeably in a conversation with no issue.
“Nice” and “Kind” are synonyms of each other, so while they have slightly different definitions, in this specific phrase they can be used fairly interchangeably, with no meaning being lost in the process.
Here’s some examples:
- It’s so kind of you to help out with the construction project.
- It’s so nice of you to come over on a holiday.
Both are being used to praise a person for their good deeds.
Is “So Nice Of You” Or “So Kind Of You” Used The Most?
According to information from the Google Ngram Viewer, “So kind of you” is used more than “So nice of you”. Both see a lot of use, but “So kind of you” is slightly more popular than “So nice of you”.
From the graph, we can gather some interesting facts about the ways in which these expressions have been utilized over the decades.
“So kind of you” has been in use since at least the year 1800, while “So nice of you” doesn’t get use until 1846. Back then, both had a significantly larger popularity gap between them.
“So kind of you” starts spiking in popularity in 1845, and spikes back down in 1882. From that year to 1946, the gap between the two nearly disappeared.
However, “So nice of you” was unable to surpass “So kind of you”, and would not surpass it in use until 1997.
By 2014, “So kind of you” managed to surpass “So nice of you” in use, and since then, the use of “So nice of you” has stalled out in comparison to “So kind of you”.
Are “So Nice Of You” And “So Kind Of You” Used Differently In The UK And The US?
According to information provided by the UK Google Ingram Viewer and the US Google Ingram Viewer, both expressions are used very differently in both countries. The US has “So nice of you” as the more popular expression, while “So kind of you” is more popular in the UK.
The data showcases the fact that in American English, “so kind of you” was the dominant expression up until 1945, in which “so nice of you” overtook it briefly.
After a few decades of interchanging which expression is more popular, eventually in 1994 “So nice of you” firmly became more popular in American English, and has yet to be surpassed.
American English sees a lot more fluctuation in the popularity of “So kind of you”, with a crash in use from the 1930s up until 1975, a year in which it started growing back in popularity up until the present day.
In British English, however, “So kind of you” has stayed as the dominant expression since the year 1800. There has been no point in history in which “So nice of you” was the more popular phrase.
In American English, both phrases exploded in popularity in the year 1997. However, this burst of popularity only happened in British English in the year 2003, six years later.
The only years in British English in which “So nice of you” was close to overtaking “So kind of you” were 1906, 1917, 1946, 1979 and 2003.
“That’s So Nice Of You” – Synonyms
Here’s several variations on the phrase that you can comfortably use:
- That’s so kind of you.
- That’s so sweet of you.
- That’s so helpful of you.
- That’s so lovely of you.
- That’s so swell of you.
You may also like: 11 Best Replies To “You’re Too Kind” (Meaning Explained)
Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here.
