s'il vous plaît

fr
en
Change language
Translating...
please
Find language
العربية الفصحى
Arabic (Standard)
Deutsch
German
Español
Spanish
Français
French
Italiano
Italian
/sil vu plɛ/
Add to My Dictionary
In My Dictionary
+1
A polite expression added to a request.
Practice using s'il vous plaît in conversation until it feels natural

Examples

  • Pouvez-vous répéter, s'il vous plaît ?
    Could you repeat that, please?
  • S'il vous plaît, où est la gare ?
    Please, where is the station?
  • Fermez la porte, s'il vous plaît.
    Close the door, please.
  • Un café, s'il vous plaît.
    A coffee, please.
  • Deux billets, s'il vous plaît.
    Two tickets, please.

Similar words

Meanings

Please

politeness
neutral
Used before or after a request to make it polite, especially when addressing one person formally or several people.

Examples

  • Un café, s'il vous plaît.
    A coffee, please.
  • Pouvez-vous répéter, s'il vous plaît ?
    Could you repeat that, please?
  • S'il vous plaît, où est la gare ?
    Please, where is the station?
  • Deux billets, s'il vous plaît.
    Two tickets, please.
  • Fermez la porte, s'il vous plaît.
    Close the door, please.

Similar words

Etymology

Literally “if it pleases you”: s’ is short for si, il is “it”, vous is “you”, and plaît comes from plaire.

FAQ

What does s'il vous plaît mean?

In a request, it means please.

Where can it go in a request?

It can come before or after the request.

Is it used with one person?

Yes, when speaking politely or formally to one person.

Can it address several people?

Yes, vous also addresses a group.

What is the familiar form?

With one familiar person, say s'il te plaît.

Comments & contributions

Know this word from another angle? Add a correction, a nuance, or a usage note. New posts go public after a quick review.
Posting as a guest · Sign in
No comments yet. Be the first to add one.
Look up word or phrase...