How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective poli changes based on the gender and number of the person being described. To form the feminine singular, add an e to get polie. For the masculine plural, add an s to get polis. For the feminine plural, add both an e and an s to get polies.
When do people say it?
Being polite in French involves using specific greetings and titles. Standard greetings include Bonjour (Good day / Hello), Bonsoir (Good evening) and Enchanté(e) (Nice to meet you). When addressing adults, you use the titles Monsieur for Mr. and Madame for Mrs. To show gratitude, you can say Merci (Thank you) or more formally, Je vous remercie (I thank you) or Je vous suis reconnaissant(e) (I'm grateful to you). If you need to apologize, you can use Pardon (Excuse me) or Je suis désolé(e) (I apologize). Phrases like Bonne journée (Have a nice day) are also common polite closing remarks.
Did you know?
- In France, it is considered impolite to enter a shop or bakery without saying Bonjour to the staff first. Doing so can be perceived as treating the worker as invisible rather than a person.
- The word poli also means 'polished' as in a smooth surface. This connects the idea of being well-mannered to the act of smoothing away rough edges.
- Calling someone trop poli (too polite) can actually be a subtle criticism in French, suggesting they are being overly formal or even insincere.
Examples in context
- Tu es trop poli.You're too polite.This sentence uses poli to describe someone being too well-mannered.Tatoeba #2228874 by sacredceltic, translation #2218455 by CK
- Il est très poli.He's very polite.This sentence uses poli to describe someone as very well-mannered.Tatoeba #4702187 by sacredceltic, translation #2488937 by Hybrid
- Ça paie d'être poli.It pays to be polite.This sentence uses poli to state that being well-mannered is beneficial.Tatoeba #1315060 by sacredceltic, translation #326096 by CK
- 123 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Chloé are talking about a new neighbor.
- HugoLe nouveau voisin est vraiment poli.The new neighbor is really polite.
- ChloéOui, il a dit bonjour à tout le monde.Yes, he said hello to everyone.
- HugoC'est agréable d'avoir quelqu'un de poli.It's nice to have someone polite.
- ChloéJe suis d'accord avec toi, Hugo.I agree with you, Hugo.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “polite” translations and entries poli, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
