Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| s'il vous plaît | /s‿il vu plɛ/ /s‿ju plɛ/ |
formal |
| s'il te plaît | /s‿il tə plɛ/ /s‿tə plɛ/ |
informal |
| prière de | /pʁi.jɛʁ də/ | with infinitive |
The phrase is used as an interjection to make a polite request. The related verb plaire means to make happy or satisfy.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase s'il vous plaît literally translates to 'if it pleases you'. The informal version, s'il te plaît, also literally means 'if it pleases you' but uses the informal 'tu' form.
Which one should you use?
Use s'il vous plaît when addressing a stranger, a superior or a group. Use s'il te plaît when addressing a friend, a child or someone you know well.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
S'il vous plaît is the common formal way to say please. S'il te plaît is the informal counterpart. Prière de is also a formal construction. In formal contexts, you can also use Pourriez-vous as an indirect way to say please, while the informal version of 'I beg you' is Je t'en prie.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The formal construction prière de must be followed by an infinitive verb.
How do you pronounce it?
/s‿il vu plɛ/
Did you know?
- In some contexts, s'il vous plaît can be used as a sarcastic exclamation to express annoyance, similar to saying 'give me a break' in English.
- The word prière in the formal construction prière de shares a root with the Latin 'precem', which is the origin of the English word 'prayer'.
- Waiters in France may use s'il vous plaît not just for requests, but as a way to get a customer's attention, acting more like 'excuse me'.
Examples in context
- S'il te plaît !Please.This example shows the use of s'il te plaît.Tatoeba #1142721 by sacredceltic, translation #393357 by shanghainese
- S'il vous plaît !Please!This example shows the use of s'il vous plaît.Tatoeba #8304724 by Micsmithel, translation #7825834 by tane
- Vote s'il te plaît.Please vote.Tatoeba #10105756 by Micsmithel, translation #10093654 by Nylez
- Excusez-moi, s'il vous plaît , pourriez-vous m'indiquer le chemin vers la gare?Excuse me, please, could you tell me the way to the train station?
- Hé, Luc! S'il te plaît , passe-moi le sel, s'il te plaît.Hey, Luc! Please pass me the salt, please.
- 1745 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa is ordering a coffee at a café.
- LéaUn café noir, s'il vous plaît.A black coffee, please.
- NathanBien sûr. Voulez-vous un croissant ?Of course. Would you like a croissant?
- LéaOui, s'il vous plaît.Yes, please.
- NathanTrès bien, je vous apporte ça.Very well, I'll bring that to you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “please” translations and entries s'il vous plaît, s'il te plaît, prière de, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, prière, s'il vous plaît, te, vous, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
