A quick beginner’s guide to saying please in French

One of the first expressions you learn in almost every French course is s’il vous plaît (please). But did you know there are numerous other ways to say “please” in French? It is not always necessary to say s’il vous plaît! Learning different expressions will boost your French speaking skills to a greater level.

You don’t always need to say s’il vous plait to say ‘please’ in French. Other French phrases are sometimes more appropriate in different contexts, and if you are looking for some variety, you have come to the right place.

No matter, if you are planning an immersion trip to jumpstart your learning or simply want to visit France, stick around for some key facts about saying ‘please’ in French.

How to say ‘please’ in French

There are plenty of ways to say please in French. Look at the table below to find a variety of expressions:

French	English
S’il vous plait	Please (if you please, formal)
Je vous en prie	Go ahead
Comme vous voulez	As you please
Oui, avec plaisir	Yes, please (with pleasure)
S’il te plaît	Please (if you please, informal)

S’il vous plait: Meaning and examples

The phrase s’il vous plaît translates literally to “if it pleases you.” You can use it if you want to say ‘please’ — that’s essentially what the phrase means.

But, just so you are aware of the specific contexts in which this phrase is used, s’il vous plaît is typically heard in formal contexts, as indicated by the word vous in this phrase. It’s a polite phrase used when asking someone for a favor, and you will hear it everywhere in France.

In fact, it is among the basic French words that are heard in everywhere conversations in France and other French-speaking countries.

For example:

– Bonjour, pouvez-vous me dire où se trouve le bureau de poste, s’il vous plaît? (Hello, could you tell me where the post office is, please?)

– Bon après-midi, je voudrais un billet aller-retour à Paris, s’il vous plait. (Good afternoon, I would like a round-trip ticket to Paris, please).

Difference between s’il vous plaît and s’il te plait

These two French phrases for the word “please” may appear similar, but they are used in different contexts. As we have discussed earlier, s’il vous plaît is used in formal contexts, whereas s’il te plait is used in informal contexts. When speaking with friends and family, use the latter phrase only.

When to use oui, avec Plaisir?

If someone offers you something in a friendly manner, you can respond with the French phrase oui, avec plaisir. Though it literally translates to English as ‘yes, with pleasure,’ it can also be used to say ‘yes, please’ in this context.

As an example, if you’re a guest in someone’s home and the hôte (host) offers you a cup of tea, you can say oui, avec plaisir. It is more appropriate in this context because it is used in response to a welcoming gesture rather than a more general response that requires s’il vous plait.

When to use je vous en prie?

Now, this French phrase, which can mean ‘please’ and is sometimes used in conjunction with s’il vous plait, is also used in specific contexts.

Assume someone in your office is holding a door open for you. You will probably hear them say je vous en prie while signaling you to proceed. ‘Please, you first’ or ‘please, go ahead’ are the English equivalents. It’s a polite phrase used to show respect for others in situations like these.

The word vous indicates the tu form of this phrase. This demonstrates that the phrase je vous en prie should only be used in formal contexts.

Useful French phrases containing please

– Un moment s’il vous plaît. One moment, please.

– Un instant, s’il vous plaît. One moment please.

– Aidez-moi, s’il vous plaît! Help me please!

– S’il vous plaît, taisez-vous! Please be quiet!

– Répétez, s’il vous plaît. Repeat please (formal or plural).

– Répète s’il te plaît. Repeat please (singular, informal).

– De l’eau, s’il vous plaît. Some water, please.

– Encore, s’il vous plaît. More, please.

– Encore un/une (depending on gender of item) s’il vous plaît. One more, please.

– Bon appétit! Please enjoy! (for meal)

– Un café, s’il vous plaît. A coffee, please.

– Un croissant, s’il vous plaît. A croissant, please.

– Une bière, s’il vous plaît. A beer, please.

– Entrez, s’il vous plaît. Please enter.

– Asseyez-vous, s’il vous plaît. Please sit.

– L’addition, s’il vous plaît. The bill, please.

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Frequently asked questions

Q. Can Merci be used as please?

A. Merci de is a formal way of saying please when giving a polite command. The grammatical structure is Merci de + infinitive.

Q. What does si’l vous plait mean?

A. This French expression means ‘If you please’.

Q. How do you politely ask in French?

A. Je voudrais ceci, s’il vous plaît. Using Je voudrais to ask for something is rather polite, and it’s commonly used in formal situations like restaurants, shops, etc.

Conclusion

If you are just starting out, remembering variations of ‘please’ in French may be difficult. For the time being, keep in mind that s’il vous plait is only used in formal contexts. If you need a French phrase for an informal situation, use s’il te plait. You also need to learn French adverbs to structure your French sentences easily and without any errors.

A lot of learners ask how long it takes to learn French, remember as you move towards the advanced levels and gain confidence, you can begin to consider which contexts require which phrase and you’ll soon be able to mix it up a bit and say ‘please’ in French in a variety of ways.