Ways to Say "Please" in French
The standard polite phrase is "s'il vous plaît"; with friends, family, or children you usually say "s'il te plaît". French also uses softer formulas and written patterns like "merci de" depending on the situation.
The most common way
Please — the standard polite form, used with strangers, in shops, with several people, or when you want to be formal.
How to say it: Say it as one smooth block, roughly "seel voo pleh"; the final -t in "plaît" is silent.
Other ways to say it
- casual
Please — the everyday informal form for one person you know well.
When to use it: Say it to friends, family, children, or colleagues you already address as tu.
- texting
Please — a quick text abbreviation of "s'il te plaît".
When to use it: Use it in casual messages with people you address as tu; avoid it in formal writing.
- professional/email
Please — a standard, slightly formal way to introduce a request or instruction, literally "thanks for".
When to use it: Use it before an infinitive in work emails and instructions, as in "Merci de patienter"; it is not a standalone spoken please.
- formal/administrative
Please — an impersonal, formal written instruction, often on signs and official notices.
When to use it: Use it on signs or official forms, e.g. "Prière de ne pas fumer"; in conversation it sounds bureaucratic.
- polite/softening
If you would be so kind — a gentle softener for a request rather than a direct "please".
When to use it: Use it with strangers, superiors, or in formal situations when you want to make a request sound considerate; for tu, say "si tu veux bien".
In a conversation
- A
, , .
Hello, a coffee, please.
- B
. ?
Right away. Anything with that?
- A
, .
No thank you, that's all.
Common mistakes
Excusez-moi, s'il te plaît.→ Excusez-moi, s'il vous plaît.Use vous with a stranger or in a shop; te is only for one person you already call tu.
Merci de.→ Merci de patienter.Merci de must be followed by an infinitive; it is not a standalone spoken "please".