When someone says “Thank you”, we may say “That's all right.” I wonder, what does “that” refer to ? What's the meaning of “all right”?
When you agree someone's proposal, you would say “OK” or “All right.” What are these sentences short for?
Learn English – What are the differences between “All right” and “That’s all right.”
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Best Answer
Consider this exchange:
In this case, speaker 2 is very casually acknowledging that speaker 1 has thanked them. It is somewhat lighthearted. This is similar to, but less polite, than an actual "welcome":
These are both very informal and and would not be used in a professional or business setting, or where you do not know the speaker well. It is considered much more polite to say "you're welcome" when you are thanked.
In the second case:
I would not say this, it definitely comes across as rude. In this instance, it is only an acknowledgement that speaker 1 has spoken, without speaker 2 offering any sort of welcome in return. It would be the equivalent of:
It's always better to be polite in formal situations. I always say "you're welcome" to everyone.
To answer the second half of your question:
Answering someone's proposal with "OK" or "All right" generally means two things:
1) You have confirmed you understand what they are talking about.
2) You are agreeing with their proposal.
It is a colloquial shorthand for saying "I understand and I agree."