Which one should you use?
While répétez s'il vous plaît is a full sentence, the single word Pardon ? (used with rising intonation) is a very common, shorter way to ask someone to repeat themselves. For an even higher level of politeness, you can use the conditional form Pourriez-vous répéter, s'il vous plaît ? which translates to "Could you repeat, please?"
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a friend, a child or someone you address as tu, you should use the informal répète s'il te plaît. Alternatively, you can say S'il vous plaît, répétez when speaking to someone you address with vous.
How does it change in a sentence?
When speaking to a friend, a child or someone you address as tu, use répète s'il te plaît instead of répétez s'il vous plaît.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often place "please" at the beginning of the sentence, but in French, it is much more natural to place s'il vous plaît at the end of the request.
Did you know?
- The word vous used in répétez s'il vous plaît is a cognate of the Russian word вы 'vy', as both derive from ancient Indo-European roots used to address a group.
- The word répéter comes from the Latin 'repetere', which originally meant 'to seek again' or 'to demand back' rather than just to say words twice.
- While Pardon ? is a common way to ask for a repetition, saying it with a falling intonation instead of a rising one transforms the word into an apology for a mistake.
Examples in context
- Pouvez-vous répéter, s'il vous plaît?Can you repeat, please?
- Excusez-moi, pourriez-vous répéter?Excuse me, could you repeat?
- S'il te plaît, répètePlease repeat
- Tu peux répéter, s'il te plaît?You can repeat, please?
- Désolé, répétez s'il vous plaît.Sorry, please repeat.
Example conversation
A student is asking her teacher to repeat a sentence in class.
- ManonJe n'ai pas compris, répétez s'il vous plaît.I did not understand, please repeat.
- LucasBien sûr, Manon.Of course, Manon.
- LucasLa phrase est très courte.The sentence is very short.
- ManonMerci beaucoup, Monsieur.Thank you very much, sir.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries vous, CC BY-SA 4.0.
