Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| voilà | /vwa.la/ | |
| voici | /vwa.si/ | |
| tiens | /tjɛ̃/ | informal |
| je t'en prie | /ʒə t‿ɑ̃ pʁi/ | |
| je vous en prie | /ʒə vu.z‿ɑ̃ pʁi/ | |
| s'il te plaît | /s‿il tə plɛ/ /s‿tə plɛ/ |
Belgium |
| s'il vous plaît | /s‿il vu plɛ/ /s‿ju plɛ/ |
Belgium |
These phrases are used when you are handing an object to someone. While voilà can function like "there you go", other forms like tiens or je t'en prie are more specific to the act of providing something.
Which one should you use?
When handing something over, voilà functions more like "there you go" or "there it is". For a more direct "here you are", you might use tiens in casual settings or tenez in formal settings. If you want to be particularly polite while handing something over, you can use Tenez, s'il vous plaît to mean "here you go, please".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The level of formality varies significantly between these options. Tiens is a very common, informal way to say "here you are" when giving an object to a friend or family member. For formal situations or when speaking to a stranger or a group, use tenez. The phrases je t'en prie and je vous en prie are polite ways to say "here you are" in a more formal or respectful manner. Voilà is a common, neutral option suitable for many situations, such as a steward in a service role.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Belgium, you may hear s'il te plaît or s'il vous plaît used in this context.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word tiens is the singular imperative form of the verb tenir (to hold), used colloquially to mean "here you go". Its plural or formal counterpart is tenez, which is used when handing something to a group or someone you do not know well.
How do you pronounce it?
voilà is pronounced /vwa.la/.
Did you know?
- When you use the polite phrase je vous en prie to hand something over, you are literally using a verb phrase that translates to 'I pray you of it'.
- While voilà is used to mean 'here you are' when handing something over, its literal meaning is actually 'look there'. It is a combination of the command vois and the adverb là.
- The polite phrase je vous en prie is the same one used to say 'you are welcome' or to tell someone 'after you' when opening a door.
Examples in context
- Je vous en prie.Here you are.This sentence shows a polite use of je vous en prie.Tatoeba #477559 by sacredceltic, translation #2649240 by CK
- « Voilà », dit le steward."Here you are," the steward says.This sentence illustrates a steward using voilà.Tatoeba #10812567 by Micsmithel, translation #402303 by blay_paul
- Te voilà enfin promu à un poste digne de toi.Here you are, finally promoted to a post worthy of you.This sentence shows voilà being used to indicate someone's arrival or state of being.Tatoeba #8106172 by felix63, translation #11671304 by tieguy
- Voici votre commande, madame.Here is your order, madam.
- Tiens, ton livre.Here you go, your book.
- Tiens, tes clés.Here you go, your keys.
- Voici vos cadeaux.Here are your gifts.
- 15 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa hands a book to Lucas in a cafe.
- LéaVoilà le livre que tu voulais.Here is the book you wanted.
- LucasMerci beaucoup, Léa.Thank you very much, Léa.
- LéaDe rien.You're welcome.
- LucasTu es très gentille.You are very kind.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “here you are” translations and entries voilà, voici, tiens, je t'en prie, je vous en prie, s'il te plaît, s'il vous plaît, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries je, voici, voilà, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
