How to Say “How May I Help You?” in French

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Comment puis-je vous aider ?
The English phrase "how may I help you?" is translated into French as Comment puis-je vous aider ?
This phrase is a polite question used by a service provider to ask a customer what they need.

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase is built from Comment (how), puis-je (can I), vous (you) and aider (to help).

Which one should you use?

You may also use Que puis-je faire pour vous? to say "What can I do for you?" or En quoi puis-je vous être utile? to mean "In what way can I be useful to you?" If you omit the word Comment and say Puis-je vous aider ?, the phrase becomes a more direct, formal offer of assistance.

Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?

Comment puis-je vous aider ? is a formal way to express this sentiment. For informal situations, you can use Comment je peux t'aider? to say "How may I help you?", Que puis-je faire pour toi? to express a willingness to assist or simply Besoin d'aide? to say "Need help?"

How does it change in a sentence?

The form puis-je is a specific, formal inversion of je peux used exclusively for questions.

Did you know?

  • In a French shop, a clerk may simply say Bonjour to signify 'How may I help you?' while waiting for the customer to speak first.
  • Using tu instead of vous in a service setting, such as Comment je peux t'aider?, can be seen as an intentional attempt to create a 'cool' or youthful brand image.
  • The word vous is a cognate of the Russian word вы 'vy', both of which are used to address people formally.

Examples in context

  • Bonjour, comment puis-je vous aider?
    Hello, how may I help you?
  • Salut, que puis-je faire pour toi?
    Hi, how may I help you?
  • Oui, comment puis-je vous assister aujourd'hui?
    Yes, how may I assist you today?
  • Monsieur, comment puis-je vous aider ?
    Sir, how may I help you?

Example conversation

Gabriel enters a boutique and Chloé greets him.

  1. Chloé

    Bonjour ! Comment puis-je vous aider ?
    Hello! How may I help you?
  2. Gabriel

    Bonjour, je cherche un cadeau pour un ami.
    Hello, I am looking for a gift for a friend.
  3. Chloé

    Très bien, quel est votre budget ?
    Very well, what is your budget?
  4. Gabriel

    Je ne sais pas encore, je regarde d'abord.
    I don't know yet, I am looking first.

Sources

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Neil Tyler
Neil TylerHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
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