Unlike other languages, French has numerous courteous and formal ways of speaking. When one begins to study it, expressions such as "please", "thank you" and "for nothing" are first learned. Since there are various degrees of formality, the expression "please" must be translated differently depending on the relationship you have with your interlocutor. For example, if you were addressing a stranger you would say S'il vous plaît (pronunciation).
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Speak Formally
Step 1. Express yourself formally when talking to a stranger
In French, you can address your interlocutor using two different pronouns. Vous, meaning "She", is the formal version. When talking to a stranger, especially an adult or a person older than you, you must use this pronoun.
- Vous also means "you" in French, so you can use it as well when targeting multiple people, regardless of their age.
- If the pronoun vous is used in the singular, generally one should contact one's interlocutor with the appellative monsieur or madame.
Step 2. Say 'S'il vous plaît (pronunciation), which means "please"
It literally translates as "if it pleases you / you". The word plaît is the third person singular of the verb plaire, which means "to please" or "to please".
For example, you might ask Quelle heure est-il, s'il vous plaît?, which means "What time is it, please?"
Step 3. Use Je vous en prie (pronunciation) to add intensity to the request
It translates as "La / please". Just like in Italian, this expression is generally reserved for a more serious context or even a desperate situation.
For example, you could say Ne me dénoncez pas, je vous en prie!, that is, "Do not report me, please!"
Method 2 of 2: Contact Friends and Family
Step 1. Use you with people you know
The pronoun tu, which means precisely "you", is informal, colloquial and singular. Use it when talking to a friend, relative, peer, or younger person.
When in doubt, use vous to address a stranger in a social context. If you make a mistake, he will eventually correct you, but it is always better to err on the side of formality and courtesy
Step 2. Use S'il te plaît (pronunciation) to say "please"
While speaking conversationally, good manners must not be forgotten. The personal pronoun complement te indicates that you are speaking to a peer of your age or to a person with whom you are familiar.
For example, could you say S'il te plaît, oú est le téléphone?, which is "Can you please tell me where the phone is?"
Step 3. When speaking quickly, say 'S'te plaît (pronunciation)
Native French speakers often combine the first syllables of the expression S'il te plaît, so that it is made up of two syllables instead of three. Saying "please" like this will help you express yourself more naturally.
Step 4. Use the expression Je t'en prie (pronunciation) in the most serious situations
This phrase literally translates as "please", so it is generally recommended to use it for more serious matters. However, since it is colloquial, it sometimes takes on a playful connotation in conversations between friends.
- For example, you could say Je t'en prie, écoute-moi!, "Please, listen to me!".
- Je t'en prie can also be translated as "Certainly". For example, the phrase Amène-le, je'ten prie means "Absolutely, take it with you".
Advice
- In French, the expressions Je vous en prie and Je t'en prie are also used to say "Di niente" or "You're welcome".
- In Belgium, the expressions S'il vous plaît and S'il te plaît also mean "Of nothing".
- If you receive a message in French, you may see abbreviations like "STP" or "SVP", which mean S'il te plaît or S'il vous plaît. You may also see "SVP" on signs.
- On signs or in public announcements, you might see the word veuillez followed by a verb. This expression means "please". For example, Veuillez patienter means "Please be patient". Veuillez is in fact the imperative form of the verb vouloir, that is "to want".
