Learning French involves mastering key phrases, and 'please' is definitely one of them! It's a fundamental word for politeness, whether you're ordering a coffee, asking for directions, or simply being courteous in everyday conversations.

But did you know there's more than one way to say 'please' in French? While 's'il vous plaît' is the classic, the French language offers a rich tapestry of expressions to convey politeness and request something gracefully.

Join us as we explore 9 different ways to say 'please' in French, helping you sound more natural and sophisticated in your interactions!

The standard formal 'please' – s'il vous plaît

The standard formal “please” – s'il vous plaît

S'il vous plaît is the quintessential and most widely used way to say “please” in French, especially in formal settings or when addressing multiple people.

Literally translated, s'il vous plaît means “if it pleases you.” This polite construction highlights the French emphasis on courtesy and respect when making requests.

You should use s'il vous plaît when speaking to someone you don't know well, elders, superiors, or anyone you need to show respect to. It's also the correct form when addressing more than one person, regardless of your relationship with them.

It's crucial to distinguish s'il vous plaît from its informal counterpart, s'il te plaît. The choice between vous and tu (and thus s'il vous plaît vs. s'il te plaît) depends entirely on the level of formality and the number of people you are addressing.

In French culture, using s'il vous plaît is a fundamental sign of good manners and respect. Omitting it can make a request sound abrupt or even rude.

You'll use s'il vous plaît for various requests, such as ordering food, asking for directions, or requesting a service. It's a versatile phrase for almost any situation requiring politeness.

S'il vous plaît can typically be placed at the beginning or end of a sentence. For example, "Puis-je avoir un café, s'il vous plaît?" (Can I have a coffee, please?) or "S'il vous plaît, donnez-moi le sel." (Please, give me the salt.)

While essential, be mindful of tone. A very direct command followed by s'il vous plaît can still sound demanding. Often, softening a request with "Puis-je avoir...?" (May I have...?) or "Pourriez-vous...?" (Could you...?) makes it even more polite.

Mastering s'il vous plaît is a key step in speaking French politely and effectively. It's not just a word; it's an integral part of French social interaction.

💡 * Excusez-moi, où est la gare, s'il vous plaît? (Excuse me, where is the station, please?)

Puis-je avoir l'addition, s'il vous plaît? (Can I have the bill, please?)

S'il vous plaît, asseyez-vous. (Please, sit down.)

Pourriez-vous répéter, s'il vous plaît? (Could you repeat, please?)

Donnez-moi un kilo de pommes, s'il vous plaît. (Give me a kilo of apples, please.)

The standard informal 'please' – s'il te plaît

The standard informal ‘please’ – s’il te plaît

S’il te plaît is the most common way to say “please” in French when speaking to someone you know well, like a friend, family member, or child. It’s essential for polite everyday interactions in informal settings.

Literally, s’il te plaît translates to “if it pleases you.” This construction, combining si (if), il (it), te (you, informal direct object), and plaît (from plaire, to please), highlights the inherent politeness of the request.

You’ll use s’il te plaît in casual settings, whether you’re asking for the salt at a friend’s dinner, requesting a favor from a sibling, or talking to a child. It signals familiarity and closeness.

Pronouncing s’il te plaît can be tricky for beginners. It sounds like seel tuh pleh. The 't' in 'te' is soft, and 'plaît' rhymes with 'play'.

It’s crucial to distinguish s’il te plaît from its formal counterpart, s’il vous plaît. While both mean “please,” s’il vous plaît is used for strangers, elders, or in professional contexts where a more respectful tone is required.

Mastering s’il te plaît (and s’il vous plaît) is fundamental to sounding natural and polite in French. It’s one of the first phrases you should learn to ensure smooth and respectful communication.

💡 * Passe-moi le sel, s’il te plaît. (Pass me the salt, please.)

Peux-tu m'aider, s'il te plaît? (Can you help me, please?)

Donne-moi ta main, s'il te plaît. (Give me your hand, please.)

Ferme la porte, s'il te plaît. (Close the door, please.)

Attends-moi, s'il te plaît! (Wait for me, please!)

The polite imperative 'please do' – veuillez

When you need to make a very polite, formal request or give an instruction in French, the verb to use is veuillez.

Veuillez is the imperative form of the verb vouloir (to want) for the vous (you plural/formal) form. While vouloir generally means 'to want,' in this imperative context, veuillez translates more closely to 'please do' or 'kindly do'.

Crucially, veuillez is always followed by an infinitive verb. It acts as a polite command or request for someone to perform the action of that infinitive verb.

This term carries a high degree of formality and is commonly encountered in official announcements, written instructions, public signs, or formal correspondence. It implies a respectful and often official tone.

While s'il vous plaît also means 'please,' veuillez is specifically used when asking someone to perform an action. S'il vous plaît is more general, used for 'please' in a simple request (e.g., 'Pass the salt, please'). Think of veuillez as 'kindly proceed to...' or 'please ensure that...'

💡 * Veuillez patienter un instant. (Please wait a moment.)

Veuillez remplir ce formulaire. (Please fill out this form.)

Veuillez trouver ci-joint les documents requis. (Please find the required documents attached.)

Veuillez ne pas fumer. (Please do not smoke.)

Veuillez prendre place. (Please take a seat.)

The formal 'I beg you' – je vous prie

Je vous prie is a highly formal French expression that translates literally to “I beg you” or “I pray you.” It is used to convey extreme politeness, respect, or a very earnest request.

This phrase is typically employed in formal written correspondence, official communications, or in very respectful spoken interactions when making a request or offering a service. It's often followed by de + infinitive.

A very common construction is Je vous prie de bien vouloir..., meaning “I beg you to kindly...” or “Would you be so kind as to...”. This emphasizes the deferential nature of the request.

While s'il vous plaît (please) is the standard polite term, je vous prie elevates the level of formality significantly, suggesting a greater degree of deference or urgency in the plea.

💡 * Je vous prie d'agréer, Madame, Monsieur, l'expression de mes sentiments distingués. (Please accept, Madam, Sir, the expression of my distinguished regards. - A common formal letter closing)

Je vous prie de bien vouloir me pardonner. (I beg you to kindly forgive me.)

Je vous prie de patienter un instant. (I beg you to wait a moment.)

Je vous prie de croire en ma bonne foi. (I beg you to believe in my good faith.)

The informal 'I beg you' – je te prie

The informal 'I beg you' – je te prie

Je te prie literally translates to 'I pray you' or 'I beg you,' and it's a way to make a polite but often insistent request in French.

While it sounds formal in English, in French, je te prie is a commonly used, slightly more emphatic and personal alternative to s'il te plaît (please).

It conveys a stronger sense of urgency or sincere request, often used when you are urging someone to do something or when expressing a strong personal wish.

You'll often hear it in situations where politeness is key, but the speaker wants to emphasize the importance of their request, or to gently insist.

Remember to use je te prie with people you would address with tu. For formal situations or with multiple people, use je vous prie.

💡 * Je te prie de m'écouter attentivement. (I beg you to listen to me carefully.)

Non, je te prie, entre ! (No, please, come in!)

Je te prie d'accepter mes plus sincères excuses. (I beg you to accept my most sincere apologies.)

Je te prie de bien vouloir y réfléchir. (I beg you to please think about it.)

The very formal 'please have the kindness to' – ayez l'obligeance de

The phrase ayez l'obligeance de is a highly formal French expression that translates literally to "have the kindness to" or "be so kind as to." It's used to make an extremely polite request.

This expression conveys a level of politeness far beyond a simple s'il vous plaît. It implies a deep respect for the recipient and a recognition that the request might be an inconvenience, hence asking for their 'kindness' to fulfill it.

You'll primarily encounter ayez l'obligeance de in formal written contexts such as official letters, administrative documents, or very serious business correspondence. In spoken French, it's quite rare and reserved for exceptionally formal situations or when addressing someone of very high authority.

Grammatically, it uses the imperative form ayez (from avoir, to have) followed by l'obligeance de and an infinitive verb. For example, ayez l'obligeance de confirmer (please have the kindness to confirm). The base infinitive form is avoir l'obligeance de.

While understanding ayez l'obligeance de is crucial for comprehending formal French, using it actively in everyday conversation can sound overly stiff, archaic, or even sarcastic. For most situations, s'il vous plaît (please) or pourriez-vous... (could you...) are far more appropriate and natural.

💡 * Ayez l'obligeance de bien vouloir remplir ce formulaire. (Please have the kindness to fill out this form.)

Ayez l'obligeance de patienter un instant. (Please have the kindness to wait a moment.)

Nous vous prions d'avoir l'obligeance de nous communiquer votre décision. (We kindly ask you to have the kindness to inform us of your decision.)

Ayez l'obligeance de présenter votre pièce d'identité à l'accueil. (Please have the kindness to present your ID at reception.)

The urgent 'for pity's sake' – par pitié

The French expression par pitié directly translates to “for pity’s sake” or “for mercy’s sake” in English.

It's used to express a strong plea, urgency, or even desperation. You use it when you are begging someone to do something, or more often, not to do something, appealing to their sense of compassion or mercy.

Often delivered with an exclamatory tone, par pitié can stand alone or be integrated into a sentence to add significant emotional weight to a request or warning.

💡 * Par pitié, ne me laisse pas seul ! (For pity's sake, don't leave me alone!)

Par pitié, arrête ce bruit ! (For goodness' sake, stop that noise!)

Dis-moi la vérité, par pitié ! (Tell me the truth, for pity's sake!)

Ne fais pas ça, par pitié ! (Don't do that, for mercy's sake!)

The impersonal 'request to' (often for signs) – prière de

When you see signs in France or receive formal instructions, you'll often encounter the phrase prière de.

Prière de translates directly to 'prayer of' or 'request of', but it functions as an impersonal way to say 'please' or 'kindly' followed by an infinitive verb.

Unlike the more personal s'il vous plaît, prière de is used for general instructions or prohibitions aimed at a collective audience. It implies a formal request or a strong recommendation, often found on public notices, administrative documents, or signs.

Think of it as equivalent to 'Please do not...' or 'Kindly...' in English, usually preceding an infinitive verb.

💡 * Prière de ne pas fumer. (Please do not smoke.)

Prière de laisser cet endroit propre. (Please leave this place clean.)

Prière de se présenter à l'accueil. (Kindly report to reception.)

Prière de fermer la porte en sortant. (Please close the door when leaving.)

The polite 'would you kindly' – voudriez-vous bien

When you want to make an exceptionally polite request in French, especially in formal settings or when asking for a significant favor, the phrase Voudriez-vous bien is your go-to. It translates roughly to "Would you kindly" or "Would you be so kind as to".

This phrase is built upon the conditional form of the verb vouloir (to want), which is voudriez-vous (would you want/would you like). The addition of bien amplifies the politeness, acting as an intensifier that conveys a sense of kindness and consideration on the part of the person being asked. It softens the request significantly.

Voudriez-vous bien is reserved for situations where a high degree of courtesy is required. Think of asking a stranger for help, making a formal request in a professional context, or asking for a favor that might inconvenience someone. It's much more formal and polite than a simple Pouvez-vous...? (Can you...?) or even Pourriez-vous...? (Could you...?).

Typically, Voudriez-vous bien is followed directly by an infinitive verb, indicating the action you are requesting. For example, Voudriez-vous bien m'aider? (Would you kindly help me?).

💡 * Voudriez-vous bien ouvrir la fenêtre? (Would you kindly open the window?)

Voudriez-vous bien me passer le sel, s'il vous plaît? (Would you kindly pass me the salt, please?)

Voudriez-vous bien patienter un instant? (Would you kindly wait a moment?)

Voudriez-vous bien m'expliquer ce point plus en détail? (Would you kindly explain this point in more detail?)

Are there other ways to say 'please' in French?

Our list features the most common ways to say 'please' in French. However, French, like any language, has nuances, including more formal or informal expressions, regional variations, and even some slang terms that convey the idea of 'please' in specific contexts.

To explore further, you can conduct an online search for 'comment dire s'il vous plaît en ___' followed by a specific Francophone country or region to discover local expressions.

You might encounter various phrases that act as synonyms or alternatives for 's'il vous plaît.' Always make sure to verify a word or phrase’s definition and observe its usage in context before incorporating it into your vocabulary.

As you immerse yourself in French by reading, watching, and listening, pay close attention. You may naturally pick up on subtle or alternative ways people express 'please' or make polite requests.

For a deeper dive into phrases related to politeness, requests, or even expressing gratitude in French, the WordReference entry for s'il vous plaît (and related terms) is an excellent starting point.

I hope you found this article helpful in understanding the nuances of 'please' in French. To leave you with a thought on the importance of politeness, here's a quote from Joseph Joubert: La politesse est une monnaie qui enrichit celui qui la reçoit et celui qui la dépense. (Politeness is a currency that enriches both the receiver and the spender.)

9 ways to say "please" in French