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How to Say ‘Can you let him go, please?’ in French

Vous pouvez le laisser partir, s'il vous plaît ?

voo poo-vay luh leh-SAY par-TEER seel eel voo pleh

[voo poo-vay luh leh-SAY par-TEER seel eel voo pleh]

🇫🇷 In France: A negotiator sticks with polite vous and s'il vous plaît even here. Calm courtesy signals respect and keeps things from escalating.

Phrase Breakdown

Vous pouvez

voo poo-vay

Can you

The formal 'can you'. Say it as 'voo poo-vay'.

Example

Vous pouvez m'aider ?

Can you help me?

Words in this phrase

Vous

[voo]

you

Used to refer to the person or people being addressed.

Example

Vous aimez le film?

Do you like the movie?

pouvez

[poo-vay]

can

Polite verb form of pouvoir used to ask if someone is able or willing to do something.

Example

En classe, « Pouvez » se trouve dans la phrase « Pouvez-vous répéter, s'il vous plaît ? »

In class, “Pouvez” is found in the sentence “Can you repeat, please?”

le laisser partir,

luh leh-SAY par-TEER

let him go,

'Le' (him) comes before 'laisser partir'. Say it as 'luh leh-say par-teer' and pause at the comma.

Example

Il faut le laisser partir.

We must let him go.

Words in this phrase

[luh]

him

Refers back to a male person or object mentioned.

Example

J'aimerais le rencontrer dès que possible.

I would like to meet him as soon as possible.

laisser

[leh-SAY]

to let

To allow someone to do something; 'laisser partir' means to let go.

Example

Laissez-moi entrer.

Let me in.

partir

[par-TEER]

to leave / go

To depart from a place.

Example

Je dois partir maintenant.

I have to leave now.

s'il vous plaît ?

seel eel voo pleh

please?

A polite 'please'. Say it as 'seel voo pleh', with the voice rising at the end.

Example

Aidez-moi, s'il vous plaît.

Help me, please.

Words in this phrase

[seel]

Part of the fixed polite expression s'il vous plaît, literally if it pleases you.

Example

S'il vous plaît, confirmez la réservation.

Please confirm the reservation.

[eel]

Impersonal subject used for weather expressions.

Example

Aujourd'hui, il fait beau.

Today, the weather is nice.

vous

[voo]

to you

Indirect object pronoun: the person receiving something.

Example

Je vous donne la monnaie.

I give you the change.

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

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.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.

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