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How to Say ‘More slowly, please’ in French

Plus lentement, s'il vous plaît

ploo lawn-tuh-mahn seel eel voo pleh

[ploo lawn-tuh-mahn seel eel voo pleh]

🇫🇷 In France: People in France are generally happy to slow down when you ask like this. It's far better received than switching straight to English.

Phrase Breakdown

Plus lentement,

ploo lawn-tuh-mahn

More slowly,

Here 'plus' means 'more' and its 's' is silent: 'plu'. 'Lentement' is pronounced 'lahnt-MAHN', with the middle 'e' almost swallowed.

Example

Parlez plus lentement.

Speak more slowly.

Words in this phrase

Plus

[ploo]

more

Used to denote additional quantity, number or degree.

Example

As-tu besoin de plus?

Do you need more?

lentement

[lawn-tuh-mahn]

slowly

At a slow pace or rate.

Example

Le professeur explique lentement.

The teacher explains slowly.

s'il vous plaît

seel eel voo pleh

please

The formal 'please', pronounced 'seel voo PLEH'. The final 't' is silent.

Example

Un café, s'il vous plaît.

A coffee, please.

Words in this phrase

s'

[seel]

if

Shortened form in the polite phrase 's'il vous plaît.' Literally it comes from 'if.'

Example

S' il vous plaît est une formule très polie.

'S'il vous plaît' is a very polite expression.

il

[eel]

it

A subject pronoun meaning "it" or sometimes "he." In weather expressions like "Il fait beau," French uses "il" where English says "it."

Example

Il fait beau ce matin.

It is nice out this morning.

vous

[voo]

you

Used to refer to the person or people being addressed.

Example

Vous aimez le film?

Do you like the movie?

plaît

[pleh]

pleases

Verb form from 'plaire.' In the full expression it contributes to the meaning 'please.'

Example

Le mot plaît est très fréquent dans la formule polie.

The word 'plaît' is very common in the polite expression.

Related guides

Hello in French: Greetings, Good Evening and How to Answer "How Are You?"How to say hello in French, when to switch to good evening, how to ask how are you and what to answer, with tu vs vous and native audio.Common French Phrases You'll Use Every Day (with Native Audio)The common French phrases and expressions people actually use every day: greetings, polite essentials, reactions and casual slang, with meanings and native audio.

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