excusez-moi, parlez-vous anglais ?
The English phrase "excuse me, do you speak english?" is translated into French as excusez-moi, parlez-vous anglais ?
This phrase is a polite way to ask a stranger if they can communicate in English.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of Excusez-moi (excuse me) and parlez-vous anglais ? (speak you English?).
Which one should you use?
Excusez-moi, parlez-vous anglais ? is the formal version of the question. In contrast, Excuse-moi, tu parles anglais ? is the informal version, which should only be used with children or people you know well.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, Canada, you might hear Pardon, est-ce que vous parlez anglais?
How does it change in a sentence?
The formal question parlez-vous uses inversion, which is a verb-subject order, to form the question.
When do people say it?
In France, it is culturally recommended to start with Excusez-moi before asking any question to a stranger to avoid appearing rude.
Did you know?
- In French, the word anglais is not capitalized when referring to the language, unlike the English word 'English'.
- The word anglais is derived from the 'Angles', a Germanic tribe that settled in Britain during the 5th century.
- While parlez-vous anglais ? is the standard question, asking it too quickly without a slow and clear Bonjour first can lead a French speaker to assume you are a tourist who is not trying to be polite.
Examples in context
- Non, je ne parle pas anglais. Désolé.No, I don't speak English. Sorry.
- Excusez-moi, parlez-vous anglais ? Je suis perdu.Excuse me, do you speak English? I am lost.
Example conversation
Emma approaches Hugo on a street in Paris to ask for directions.
- EmmaExcusez-moi, parlez-vous anglais ?Excuse me, do you speak English?
- HugoOui, un petit peu. Je peux vous aider ?Yes, a little bit. Can I help you?
- EmmaMerci ! Où est le musée ?Thank you! Where is the museum?
- HugoC'est tout droit, juste après le parc.It is straight ahead, just after the park.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries anglais, CC BY-SA 4.0.
