How to Say Please in French (with Audio)
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The two everyday ways to say “please” in French are s’il vous plaît and s’il te plaît.
Use them when making requests, ordering food or drink, and asking permission. The choice follows the same tu/vous distinction as the rest of the conversation, so these belong among the first French words and phrases you learn.
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Table of contents
- S’il vous plaît and s’il te plaît: “Please” in French
- Si cela ne vous dérange pas and si ça ne te dérange pas
- Avec plaisir: “With pleasure”
- Pourrais-tu… or Pourriez-vous…: “Could you…?”
- Merci de + infinitive: polite instruction or thanks
- Serait-il possible de…?
- Veuillez: A formal written instruction
- Other Polite Words and Phrases in French
- Choose the right “please” in French
The table gives you the main forms, their usual register, and the original audio. The sections below show where each one fits.
| English | French | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| “Please” (polite singular or any plural) | S’il vous plaît | |
| “Please” (familiar singular) | S’il te plaît | |
| “If it doesn’t bother you” (polite) | Si cela ne vous dérange pas | |
| “If you don’t mind” (informal spoken) | Si ça te dérange pas | |
| “With pleasure” | Avec plaisir | |
| “Could you…?” (polite singular or plural) | Pourriez-vous… ? | |
| “Could you…?” (familiar singular) | Pourrais-tu… ? | |
| “Thanks for…” | Merci de… | |
| “Would it be possible to…?” | Serait-il possible de… ? | |
| “Please” (formal written instruction) | Veuillez |
Here is how each form works in a real request or reply.
S’il vous plaît and s’il te plaît: “Please” in French
Both expressions literally mean “if it pleases you”. Use s’il vous plaît with one person you address as vous, or whenever you are speaking to two or more people. Use s’il te plaît with one person you address as tu.
Pronounce s’il vous plaît /sil vu plɛ/ and s’il te plaît /sil tə plɛ/. The final t in plaît is silent. Our French pronunciation guide explains the sound symbols.
The social line between tu and vous varies. People are more likely to start with tu at a first meeting in Quebec than in some other French-speaking regions. If you are unsure, begin with vous and follow the other person’s lead.
Belgian French has another use worth recognising: a server may say s’il vous plaît while handing you something, where English would say “here you are”.
- Un café, s’il vous plaît. “A coffee, please.”
- Pourriez-vous m’aider, s’il vous plaît ? “Could you help me, please?”
- Pourriez-vous m’envoyer les documents, s’il vous plaît ? “Could you please send me the documents?”
With a friend, family member, or child you address as tu, use s’il te plaît.
- Passe-moi le sel, s’il te plaît. “Pass me the salt, please.”
- Tu peux m’aider, s’il te plaît ? “Can you help me, please?”
- Attends-moi, s’il te plaît. “Wait for me, please.”
In quick everyday speech, s’il te plaît may contract to s’te plaît, pronounced /stə plɛ/. It is familiar speech, so keep the full form when you need a careful or polite tone.
- Maman, s’te plaît, on peut aller au parc ? “Mum, please, can we go to the park?”
- Attends, s’te plaît, j’arrive ! “Wait, please, I’m coming!”
In messages, STP abbreviates s’il te plaît, while SVP abbreviates s’il vous plaît. These are useful in informal writing, but spell the phrase out in formal correspondence.
Si cela ne vous dérange pas and si ça ne te dérange pas
For a request that may inconvenience someone, si cela ne vous dérange pas means “if that doesn’t bother you” or “if it’s not too much trouble”. The vous version is polite singular or plural. Cela also sounds more careful than everyday ça.
- Si cela ne vous dérange pas, pourriez-vous répondre au client concernant cette question ? “If it’s not too much trouble, could you respond to the client regarding this issue?”
- Si cela ne vous dérange pas, pourriez-vous me donner votre avis sur ce document ? “If it doesn’t bother you, could you give me your feedback on this document?”
The standard familiar version is si ça ne te dérange pas. In conversation, speakers often drop ne and say si ça te dérange pas. The audio table records that spoken form; use the version with ne in careful writing.
- Si ça ne te dérange pas, j’aimerais bien emprunter ton vélo pour la journée. “I’d like to borrow your bike for the day if you don’t mind.”
- Si ça ne te dérange pas, tu pourrais garder mon chat ce week-end ? “If you don’t mind, could you look after my cat this weekend?”
Avec plaisir: “With pleasure”
Avec plaisir means “with pleasure”. Use oui, avec plaisir to accept an invitation or offer enthusiastically. Volontiers is another natural reply meaning “gladly” or “yes, please”.
Here is a short exchange between Sophie and Marc:
Sophie: Est-ce que tu voudrais venir dîner chez moi ce samedi ? Je vais faire un bœuf bourguignon. (“Would you like to come to my place for dinner this Saturday? I’m making beef bourguignon.”)
Marc: Oui, avec plaisir ! C’est mon plat français préféré ! (“Yes, with pleasure! It’s my favourite French dish!”)
Here, avec plaisir accepts the invitation; it does not mean “thank you”. Learn more about dishes like this in our French food guide.
Pourrais-tu… or Pourriez-vous…: “Could you…?”
Use the conditional of pouvoir (“to be able to”) to soften a request. Pourrais-tu… ? addresses one person as tu. Pourriez-vous… ? addresses one person politely or several people. Both are already polite; adding the matching s’il te plaît or s’il vous plaît adds warmth or emphasis.
Here are some examples:
- Pourrais-tu me prêter ton stylo, s’il te plaît ? “Could you lend me your pen, please?”
- Pourriez-vous me dire quelle heure il est ? “Could you tell me what time it is?”
- Pourriez-vous parler un peu plus lentement, s’il vous plaît ? “Could you speak a bit more slowly, please?”
Merci de + infinitive: polite instruction or thanks
Merci de followed by an infinitive can mean “thank you for”, but on a sign, recording, or service message it often works as a polite instruction. The grammar is merci de + infinitive; before an infinitive, use de, not pour.
For example, merci de patienter can mean “thank you for waiting” or “please wait” in a customer-service message. It sounds professional, but it can also sound firmer than a personal request because the action is treated as expected.
Here are some common French verbs you’d often see with merci de.
- Merci de patienter. “Thank you for waiting” or “Please wait”
- Merci de me rappeler. “Please call me back” or “Thank you for calling me back”
- Merci de faire attention. “Please pay attention” or “Thank you for being careful”
- Merci de me tenir au courant. “Please keep me informed” or “Thank you for keeping me informed”
To thank someone unambiguously for a completed action, French often uses a past infinitive: Merci d’avoir rappelé. means “Thank you for calling back.”
Serait-il possible de…: “Would it be possible to…?”
Serait-il possible de… ? (“Would it be possible to…?”) is an indirect request. Match any added s’il vous plaît or s’il te plaît to the person you are addressing.
Some examples:
- Serait-il possible de réserver une table pour ce soir ? “Would it be possible to reserve a table for tonight?”
- Serait-il possible de reporter notre rendez-vous à demain, s’il vous plaît ? “Would it be possible to reschedule our appointment for tomorrow, please?”
Veuillez: A formal written instruction
Veuillez is the polite singular or plural imperative of vouloir (“to want”) used before an infinitive. In English it is often translated as “please”, but grammatically it introduces a polite instruction or order.
You will often see it in notices, forms, administrative messages, and formal correspondence. It is courteous but direct, so it is not the natural choice for a relaxed request between friends.
- Veuillez patienter un instant. “Please wait a moment.”
- Veuillez m’envoyer les informations dès que possible. “Please send me the information as soon as possible.”
- Veuillez entrer votre code confidentiel. “Please enter your PIN.”
Other Polite Words and Phrases in French
A request often leads to a thank-you and a reply. Je vous en prie is a polished response to merci; de rien is common and neutral; avec plaisir sounds warmer.
| English | French | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| “Please” (polite singular or any plural) | S’il vous plaît | |
| “Please” (familiar singular) | S’il te plaît | |
| “Excuse me” (polite singular or plural) | Excusez-moi | |
| “Sorry” (formal and informal) | Pardon | |
| “Thanks” | Merci | |
| “Thank you very much” | Merci beaucoup | |
| “You’re welcome” (polite or plural) | Je vous en prie | |
| “You’re welcome” (common/neutral) | De rien | |
| “With pleasure” | Avec plaisir |
Choose the right “please” in French
Start with the relationship: tu gives you s’il te plaît, while polite singular or plural vous gives you s’il vous plaît.
Then choose the request itself: a conditional question sounds personal, merci de suits many service messages, and veuillez belongs mainly to formal instructions.
Practise one request aloud with the audio, then add thank you in French and sorry in French to complete the exchange. For a larger library of recorded lessons, read our FrenchPod101 review before deciding whether it suits you.
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