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How to Say ‘Please explain your approach to us.’ in French

Expliquez-nous votre démarche, s'il vous plaît.

eks-plee-KAY noo vot-ruh day-MARSH seel eel voo pleh

[eks-plee-KAY noo vot-ruh day-MARSH seel eel voo pleh]

🇫🇷 In France: French juries expect your intentions and method here, not a description of what's on the canvas. Prepare a short spoken answer about why you make your choices.

Phrase Breakdown

Expliquez-nous

eks-plee-KAY noo

Explain to us

This is a polite imperative using 'vous'. Stress falls lightly on 'nous'.

Example

Expliquez-nous pourquoi.

Explain to us why.

Words in this phrase

Expliquez

[eks-plee-KAY]

explain

Polite/plural imperative of 'expliquer' (to explain).

Example

Expliquez votre choix.

Explain your choice.

-nous

[noo]

Referring to the person speaking and one or more others.

Example

Cet email est pour nous.

This email is for us.

votre démarche,

vot-ruh day-MARSH

your approach,

This means 'your way of working' or 'your process'. Pause at the comma.

Example

Quelle est votre démarche ?

What is your approach?

Words in this phrase

votre

[vot-ruh]

your

Belonging to you.

Example

Votre voiture est là.

Your car is there.

démarche

[day-MARSH]

approach / process

The artistic method or reasoning behind a work; how and why you create.

Example

Sa démarche artistique est originale.

Her artistic approach is original.

s'il vous plaît.

seel eel voo pleh

please.

This is the formal 'please'. 'S'il' sounds like [sil], and the final 't' of 'plaît' is silent.

Example

Un café, s'il vous plaît.

A coffee, please.

Words in this phrase

[seel]

Part of the fixed polite expression s'il te plaît.

Example

S'il y a une table libre, on peut s'asseoir.

If there’s a free table, we can sit down.

[eel]

Impersonal subject used for weather expressions.

Example

Aujourd'hui, il fait beau.

Today, the weather is nice.

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

From plaire; means is pleasing to or is liked by someone.

Example

J'espère que ce cadeau vous plaît.

I hope you like this gift.

Guides for French learners

The Most Common French Verbs: the 20 You'll Actually UseThe 20 most common French verbs, with the present-tense forms you need, real example sentences with native audio, and two shortcuts for past and future.Ordering in French: Cafés, Bakeries and Restaurants (with Menu Vocabulary)How to order in French at a café, a bakery and a restaurant: the phrases, the questions staff ask, and the menu and food vocabulary to understand the answers.

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