How to Say ‘May I take your name, please?’ in French
Je peux prendre votre nom, s'il vous plaît ?
zhuh puh prahn-druh voh-truh nohn seel eel voo pleh
[zhuh puh prahn-druh voh-truh nohn seel eel voo pleh]
🇫🇷 In France: This is a normal polite way for staff to ask for the name on the booking. In France that can happen naturally without extra small talk.
Phrase Breakdown
Je
[zhuh]
I
Subject pronoun for the speaker.
Je peux prendre votre nom, s'il vous plaît ?
May I take your name, please?
peux
[puh]
can
Used here for a polite request.
Je peux prendre votre nom, s'il vous plaît, pour la réservation ?
May I take your name, please, for the reservation?
prendre
[prahn-druh]
take
Means to ask for and note down information.
Je peux prendre votre nom, s'il vous plaît, et votre numéro ?
May I take your name, please, and your number?
votre
[voh-truh]
your
Polite possessive adjective used with customers and guests.
Je peux prendre votre nom, s'il vous plaît, monsieur ?
May I take your name, please, sir?
nom
[nohn]
name
Used to identify the reservation.
Je peux prendre votre nom, s'il vous plaît, pour confirmer la table ?
May I take your name, please, to confirm the table?
S'il vous plaît
seel eel voo pleh
please
A polite expression used when making a request.
Votre carte, s'il vous plaît.
Your card, please.
Words in this phrase
s'
[seel]
if
Part of the set phrase s'il vous plaît, meaning “please.”
Je peux prendre votre nom, s'il vous plaît ?
May I take your name, please?
il
[eel]
he
Literal meaning is “he,” but here it belongs to the fixed polite phrase.
Je peux prendre votre nom, s'il vous plaît ?
May I take your name, please?
vous
[voo]
you
Polite “you,” part of the expression s'il vous plaît.
Je peux prendre votre nom, s'il vous plaît ?
May I take your name, please?
plaît
[pleh]
pleases
Literal meaning in the expression s'il vous plaît, used to say “please.”
Je peux prendre votre nom, s'il vous plaît ?
May I take your name, please?
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