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How to Say ‘A bag, please.’ in French

Un sac, s'il vous plaît.

uhn sahk seel eel voo pleh

[uhn sahk seel eel voo pleh]

🇫🇷 In France: Supermarkets don't hand out free plastic bags. Expect to pay a little for one, or bring your own.

Phrase Breakdown

Un sac,

uhn sahk

A bag,

'Un' is a nasal sound, like 'uh' through the nose. The final 'c' in 'sac' is pronounced: 'sak'.

Example

Un sac en papier.

A paper bag.

Words in this phrase

[uhn]

Indefinite article used before a singular noun.

Example

Un petit garçon joue.

A little boy is playing.

sac

[sahk]

bag

Masculine noun for a bag, such as a shopping bag or handbag.

Example

Mon sac est lourd.

My bag is heavy.

s'il vous plaît.

seel eel voo pleh

please.

This is the polite form of 'please'. Say it smoothly as 'seel-voo-pleh'. The final 't' 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 vous plaît, literally if it pleases you.

Example

S'il vous plaît, confirmez la réservation.

Please confirm the reservation.

[eel]

In il y a, il does not refer to a person; it is part of the expression meaning “there is/there are.”

Example

Est-ce qu'il y a un parking sur place ?

Is there parking on site?

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, to please; part of the expression meaning please.

Example

S'il vous plaît, cela me plaît beaucoup.

Please, I like that very much.

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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