Ways to say it
| Catalan | IPA |
|---|---|
| si us plau | [si us ˈplaw] (Balearic, Central, Northern, Northwestern, Valencia, narrow) |
| per favor | [pər fəˈβur] (Northern, narrow) [pər fəˈvo] (Balearic, narrow) |
These phrases are used as interjections to make polite requests. While per favor is common in casual speech, si us plau is the standard and most natural way to express this sentiment in Catalan.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase si us plau literally translates to "if it pleases you".
Which one should you use?
Si us plau is the standard polite or plural form. Per favor is often used in colloquial speech due to the influence of Spanish.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Si us plau is the most natural and widely used way to say "please" in both formal and standard Catalan settings, and it can also be used informally. Per favor is considered more colloquial. For a very formal way to say "if you were so kind", you can use Si fos tan amable.
Related words
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use si em plau when you mean "please", as this is grammatically incorrect in this context.
Did you know?
- The phrase si us plau is a linguistic cousin to the French s'il vous plaît and the Occitan se vos plai, sharing a common Romance ancestry.
- Using per favor in Catalan is often seen as a sign of Spanish influence rather than a native preference.
- Using the variation si em plau instead of si us plau is a common mistake that fundamentally changes the meaning to 'if it pleases me'.
Examples in context
- La sal, si us plau.The salt, if you please.This sentence is useful for requesting the salt using si us plau.Tatoeba #12499549 by Both6546, translation #29861 by aka_aj
- Per favor, apaga el llum.Please turn off the light.This sentence is useful for requesting to turn off the light using per favor.Tatoeba #876340 by ziggsmith, translation #29826 by CK
- Si us plau, deixi de menjar.Please stop eating.This sentence is useful for requesting someone to stop eating using si us plau.Tatoeba #12495204 by Both6546, translation #6902660 by CK
- Si us plau, em podria dir com arribar a l'estació de tren més propera?Please, could you tell me how to get to the nearest train station?
- Si us plau, porta'm una ampolla d'aigua.Please, bring me a bottle of water.
- 31 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Pol and Anna are at a cafe.
- PolUn cafè amb llet, si us plau.A coffee with milk, please.
- AnnaI vols alguna cosa per menjar?Do you want something to eat?
- PolSí, un croissant, si us plau.Yes, a croissant, please.
- AnnaPerfecte, ja ho dono.Perfect, I'll get it now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “please” translations and entries si us plau, per favor, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries favor, per, si, si us plau, us, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
