Make polite and casual requests in French
Learn French requests from casual to polite: prends ton temps, prenez votre temps, and question patterns like 'Pouvez-vous... ?' with pronunciation and a dialogue.
By LiamCulture & nuance · Yapr Learn
The direct answer: in French, 'take your time' is most commonly 'prends ton temps' (informal, one person you address with tu) or 'prenez votre temps' (polite or plural). Both are reassuring and mean there is no rush. This lesson teaches those exact phrases, then widens the pattern to requests such as 'Pouvez-vous m'aider ?' (Could you help me?) and 'Tu peux m'aider ?' (Can you help me?). You will learn how tu and vous change politeness, how question wording changes tone, and how to ask staff for help without sounding demanding.
By the end, you can…
- say 'take your time' in informal and polite French.
- make a request with tu or vous and choose a polite or casual tone.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Prends ton temps.
Take your time. (informal, to one person)
prahn tɔ̃ tɑ̃
Use with a friend, family member, or someone you already address as tu. It reassures the person that there is no rush.
Prenez votre temps.
Take your time. (polite or plural)
pʁə-ne vɔtʁ tɑ̃
Use with someone you address as vous: a stranger, a shop assistant, an older person, or more than one person. Safe in most service situations.
Pouvez-vous m'aider, s'il vous plaît ?
Could you help me, please? (polite)
pu-ve vu mɛ-de, sil vu plɛ
A polite request to staff or a stranger. The vous form and s'il vous plaît keep the tone respectful.
Tu peux m'aider ?
Can you help me? (casual)
ty pø mɛ-de
Casual and friendly, for someone you address as tu. It can sound abrupt with a stranger, so use the vous version there.
Je peux vous demander quelque chose ?
Can I ask you something? (polite)
ʒə pø vu də-mɑ̃-de kɛl-kə ʃoz
A useful opener before a request. It signals that a question is coming and softens the approach.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
For requests, French often uses a question with pouvoir (can/could): 'Pouvez-vous... ?' is polite, and 'Tu peux... ?' is casual. Compare 'Pouvez-vous m'aider ?' (Could you help me?) with 'Tu peux m'aider ?' (Can you help me?). For 'take your time', the verb is prendre: 'Prends ton temps' uses the tu command form, and 'Prenez votre temps' uses the vous form. The possessive matches the person: ton with tu, votre with vous. You can also soften a request with 's'il vous plaît' (polite) or 's'il te plaît' (casual).
When to use it
Choose tu when you already use tu with that person: friends, close colleagues, family. Choose vous for strangers, staff, and anyone older unless they invite tu. 'Prenez votre temps' is the safer choice in shops, cafés, and offices. If you are unsure, start with vous; a French speaker may then say 'on peut se tutoyer' (we can use tu with each other). In Quebec, service encounters also commonly use vous, and 'Prenez votre temps' works there too. Avoid treating 'Prends ton temps' as rude: it is simply informal, not impolite, when the relationship allows tu.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Bonjour, je peux vous demander quelque chose ?
Hello, can I ask you something?bɔ̃-ʒuʁ, ʒə pø vu də-mɑ̃-de kɛl-kə ʃozBien sûr, je vous écoute.
Of course, I'm listening.bjɛ̃ syʁ, ʒə vu ze-kutPouvez-vous m'aider à trouver la gare, s'il vous plaît ?
Could you help me find the train station, please?pu-ve vu mɛ-de a tʁu-ve la ɡaʁ, sil vu plɛOui, prenez votre temps, je vais vous montrer.
Yes, take your time, I'll show you.wi, pʁə-ne vɔtʁ tɑ̃, ʒə vɛ vu mɔ̃-tʁeA little context goes a long way
French politeness often depends on the tu/vous choice more than on please and thank you alone. 'Prenez votre temps' is a considerate phrase in service settings, while 'Prends ton temps' is warm and casual with people you already tutoyer. If someone uses tu with you first, you can usually follow, but you are not obliged to switch immediately.
One thing to watch for
Using 'Prends ton temps' with a stranger or a shop assistant because it is the first form you learned.
Try this instead: With someone you address as vous, say 'Prenez votre temps.' Example: 'Prenez votre temps, je ne suis pas pressé.' This keeps the polite register. 'Prends ton temps' is not wrong in itself; it is wrong only when the relationship calls for vous.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1You are speaking to a shop assistant you address as vous. How do you say 'Take your time'?
Show a sample answer
Prenez votre temps.
The vous form prenez and the possessive votre match the polite register. 'Prends ton temps' would be too casual here unless you already use tu with that person.
2A close friend seems worried about finishing a task. What casual phrase reassures them?
Show a sample answer
Prends ton temps.
This uses the tu command and ton, matching a friendly relationship. 'Prenez votre temps' is also grammatically correct but would sound unnecessarily formal with a close friend.
3Turn 'Tu peux m'aider ?' into a polite question for a stranger.
Show a sample answer
Pouvez-vous m'aider, s'il vous plaît ?
Switching to vous and adding s'il vous plaît raises the politeness. 'Pourriez-vous m'aider ?' is another valid polite option, slightly more formal.
Use 'Prends ton temps' with people you call tu and 'Prenez votre temps' with people you call vous. When in doubt, choose vous and add s'il vous plaît.
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