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How to Say ‘Please (formal)’ in French

S'il vous plaît

seel eel voo pleh

[seel eel voo pleh]

💬 Usage Tip: Swap vous for te to get the informal version: S'il te plaît. S'il is a squeezed form of si il "if it" and never appears alone.

Phrase Breakdown

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

Used as a subject pronoun for things or concepts.

Example

Il fait beau aujourd'hui.

It is nice today.

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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