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How to Say ‘Please’ in French

S'il vous plaît

s eel voo pleh

[s eel voo pleh]

💬 Usage Tip: This is the vous version; with someone you'd call tu, it becomes s'il te plaît.

Phrase Breakdown

[s]

Shortened form of 'si' before 'il', used in 's'il vous plaît'.

Example

Viens s'il fait beau.

Come if the weather is nice.

[eel]

it (impersonal)

Impersonal subject used with verbs like 'rester' meaning 'there is left'.

Example

Il reste du pain.

There is some bread left.

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 / is liked

From the verb 'plaire'; it means something is pleasing or appealing.

Example

Ça me plaît quand l'équipe est ouverte.

I like it when the team is open.

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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