🙏❓

How to Say ‘Could you...?’ in French

Est-ce que vous pourriez...?

eh suh kuh voo poo-RYAY

[eh suh kuh voo poo-RYAY]

💬 Usage Tip: Est-ce que at the start simply turns a sentence into a question. Pourriez is the polite "could" form, and you can add any action after it.

Phrase Breakdown

Est-ce que

eh suh kuh

(question marker)

Turns a statement into a question. Say it as one unit: 'èss-keu'.

Example

Est-ce que tu viens ?

Are you coming?

Words in this phrase

Est

[eh]

Third person singular present of be.

Example

C'est important.

It is important.

-ce

[suh]

question marker

In est-ce que, this element helps form a standard yes/no question in French.

Example

Est-ce qu'il y a un parking gratuit ?

Is there free parking?

que

[kuh]

that

Introduces the clause that follows after expressing a thought or opinion.

Example

Dans Je pense que, que relie l'opinion à l'idée suivante.

In "Je pense que," "que" links the opinion to the next idea.

vous pourriez...?

voo poo-RYAY

could you...?

The conditional of 'pouvoir' makes a request polite. Say 'pou-rié'.

Example

Vous pourriez répéter ?

Could you repeat?

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?

pourriez

[poo-RYAY]

could

Conditional of pouvoir, polite request.

Example

Vous pourriez m'aider ?

Could you help me?

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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