je vous en prie
/ʒə vu.z‿ɑ̃ pʁi/
The English phrase 'be my guest' can be translated into French in several ways, with je vous en prie being the default form. Wiktionary also lists servez-vous and sers-toi.
Meaning: do as you wish (verb)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| je vous en prie | /ʒə vu.z‿ɑ̃ pʁi/ | |
| servez-vous | formal | |
| sers-toi | informal | |
| je t'en prie | /ʒə t‿ɑ̃ pʁi/ | |
| vas-y | /va.z‿i/ /vɑ.z‿i/ |
|
| allez-y | /a.le.z‿i/ |
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase je vous en prie literally translates to 'I pray you of it' or 'I beg of you'.
Which one should you use?
While je vous en prie is a general way to say 'be my guest' or 'go ahead', servez-vous is specifically used when inviting someone to help themselves to food, drink or items. Allez-y is used to give someone permission to proceed with an action, functioning as a more direct version of 'be my guest'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
servez-vous is formal, while sers-toi and vas-y are informal. Vas-y is a more colloquial and direct way to say 'go ahead' or 'be my guest' compared to the more polite je t'en prie.
How does it change in a sentence?
Sers-toi is the informal imperative form of se servir, used to tell a friend to help themselves to something.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʒə vu.z‿ɑ̃ pʁi/
Did you know?
- The phrase je vous en prie is also the standard way to say 'you are welcome' after someone says 'thank you'.
- The word en in the phrase je vous en prie is a linguistic chameleon. Depending on the context, it can stem from the Latin 'in' (meaning 'in') or from 'inde' (meaning 'from there').
- In a formal setting, je vous en prie is often accompanied by a slight nod or a gesture with the hand to signal that the other person may proceed.
Examples in context
- Je t'en prie !Be my guest!This example shows how to use je t'en prie to mean 'Be my guest!'Tatoeba #1142723 by sacredceltic, translation #938682 by sacredceltic
- Après vous, je vous en prie.After you, please.
- Tu veux essayer mon gâteau ? Vas-y, sers-toi !Do you want to try my cake? Go ahead, help yourself!
- Bienvenue chez moi ! Fais comme chez toi.Welcome to my place! Make yourself at home.
- Si vous voulez regarder ce document, je vous en prie.If you want to look at this document, be my guest.
- Prenez la dernière chaise, je vous en prie.Take the last chair, be my guest.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
At a professional office meeting.
- EmmaPuis-je utiliser votre stylo ?May I use your pen?
- LucasBien sûr, je vous en prie.Of course, be my guest.
- EmmaMerci beaucoup, Lucas.Thank you very much, Lucas.
- LucasDe rien, Emma.You're welcome, Emma.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “be my guest” translations and entries je vous en prie, je t'en prie, vas-y, allez-y, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries en, je, je vous en prie, vous, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
