How to Say ‘Please’ in French
S'il vous plaît
seel eel voo pleh
[seel eel voo pleh]
💬 Usage Tip: [S'il] is a squeezed form of [si il]; French avoids that vowel clash by joining them. You will see the same thing in [s'ils] too.
Phrase Breakdown
S'
[seel]
if
Here it is part of the fixed polite expression “S'il vous plaît,” literally “if it pleases you.”
Pour demander de l'aide poliment, je dis « S'il vous plaît ».
To ask for help politely, I say “Please.”
il
[eel]
it
A subject pronoun meaning “it”; in this phrase it is part of the set expression for “please.”
Pour demander de l'aide poliment, je dis « S'il vous plaît ».
To ask for help politely, I say “Please.”
vous
[voo]
you
The formal or plural form of “you”; here it makes the phrase polite.
Pour demander de l'aide poliment, je dis « S'il vous plaît ».
To ask for help politely, I say “Please.”
plaît
[pleh]
pleases
From the verb “plaire,” meaning “to please”; in this phrase it helps form the polite “please.”
Pour demander de l'aide poliment, je dis « S'il vous plaît ».
To ask for help politely, I say “Please.”
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