silence, s'il vous plaît
The English phrase "silence please" is translated into French as silence, s'il vous plaît.
This phrase is used to make a polite request for people to stop talking or to stop making noise.
What does it mean word for word?
The expression s'il vous plaît literally means "if it pleases you".
Which one should you use?
While silence, s'il vous plaît is a polite request, using only Silence ! acts as a command and can sound much more abrupt or angry. For a very informal way to tell someone to be quiet, similar to the English "Shh!", you can use Chut !
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
If you need to be more formal, you can say Pourriez-vous vous taire, s'il vous plaît?, which means "Could you be quiet, please?" In informal settings, such as when speaking to a child or someone you know well, you can use silence, s'il te plaît.
How does it change in a sentence?
When addressing a single person you know well or a child informally, you should use the form silence, s'il te plaît.
Did you know?
- The formal vous used in s'il vous plaît is a linguistic relative of the Russian word вы (vy).
- In the Picard dialect of France, the formal 'you' used in this phrase is often pronounced as os instead of vous.
- The phrase s'il vous plaît is used as a polite modifier, but the French have a dedicated reflexive verb se taire specifically for the act of becoming quiet.
Examples in context
- Silence, s'il vous plaît.Silence, please.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase silence, s'il vous plaît.Tatoeba #9025690 by Micsmithel, translation #8833043 by jimkillock
- Veuillez faire silence, s'il vous plaît. Nous allons commencer le cours.Please be silent. We are about to start the class.
- Pourriez-vous vous taire, s'il vous plaît? Les présentations vont commencer.Could you be quiet, please? The presentations are about to begin.
- S'il vous plaît, taisez-vous. J'essaie de me concentrer.Please be quiet. I'm trying to concentrate.
- Un peu de silence, s'il vous plaît.A little silence, please.
Example conversation
Lucas and Chloé are in a quiet library.
- LucasSilence, s'il vous plaît, on est à la bibliothèque.Silence, please, we are in the library.
- ChloéDésolée, je ne faisais pas attention.Sorry, I wasn't paying attention.
- LucasMerci, Chloé.Thank you, Chloé.
- ChloéJe vais me taire maintenant.I will be quiet now.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries silence, vous, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
