How to Say Please and Thank You in French: Everyday Politeness
Learn French please and thank you for formal and informal situations, including common replies to thanks, with pronunciation and register guidance.
By LiamCulture & nuance · Yapr Learn
In French, politeness is not just vocabulary; it changes with the situation and with how well you know the person. This lesson focuses on two essential expressions: please and thank you. You will learn the standard forms, the informal forms used with friends and family, and how to respond when someone thanks you. You will also see where French differs from English, for example in how 'please' is often expressed with a short phrase rather than one single word.
By the end, you can…
- say please in formal and informal French situations.
- thank someone and reply naturally when someone thanks me.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
S'il vous plaît.
Please. (formal or plural)
seel voo pleh
Use with strangers, older people, shopkeepers, or more than one person. Very common when asking for something or handing something over.
S'il te plaît.
Please. (informal singular)
seel tuh pleh
Use with one person you know well: a friend, family member, classmate or child.
Merci.
Thank you.
mehr-see
The standard thank-you in almost every situation, formal or informal.
Merci beaucoup.
Thank you very much.
mehr-see boh-koo
A warmer, stronger thank-you. Common after a favour, a gift or good service.
Je vous en prie.
You're welcome. (formal or plural)
zhuh voo zahn pree
A polite response to merci. Also used to mean 'please go ahead' or 'after you'.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
French 'please' is usually a short phrase, not one word. Use S'il vous plaît with people you address as vous, and S'il te plaît with one person you address as tu. For example: Un café, s'il vous plaît. (One coffee, please.) and Tu peux m'aider, s'il te plaît ? (Can you help me, please?). The choice depends on the relationship, not on how polite you feel.
When to use it
Use Merci by itself for everyday thanks: Merci, au revoir. (Thank you, goodbye.) Add beaucoup for stronger thanks: Merci beaucoup pour votre aide. (Thank you very much for your help.) To reply to thanks, use Je vous en prie in formal contexts and Je t'en prie informally. In shops and cafés, Merci is also common when receiving something, similar to 'thanks' from the server.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Bonjour, un café, s'il vous plaît.
Hello, one coffee, please.bohn-zhoor, uhn kah-feh, seel voo plehVoilà. Et avec ça ?
Here you are. And with that?vwah-lah. eh ah-vek sahNon merci, c'est tout. Merci beaucoup.
No thank you, that's all. Thank you very much.nohn mehr-see, seh too. mehr-see boh-kooJe vous en prie. Bonne journée !
You're welcome. Have a good day!zhuh voo zahn pree. bun zhoor-nayA little context goes a long way
In France, politeness often starts with Bonjour before any request. Saying S'il vous plaît without a greeting can sound abrupt in shops. In Québec, Merci is used much like in France, and the reply Bienvenue (literally 'welcome') is common for 'you're welcome'; Je vous en prie is also understood but can sound more formal.
One thing to watch for
Using S'il te plaît with a shopkeeper or someone you do not know.
Try this instead: Use S'il vous plaît with strangers and in service situations: Un billet, s'il vous plaît. Save S'il te plaît for one person you already address as tu, such as a friend: Tu viens, s'il te plaît ?
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1You are buying a train ticket from an agent. How do you say 'One ticket, please'?
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Un billet, s'il vous plaît.
The agent is a stranger, so vous is appropriate. Un billet, s'il te plaît would be too informal in this context.
2A friend helps you move a table. What can you say to thank them warmly?
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Merci beaucoup.
Merci beaucoup adds warmth. Merci alone is also correct, but beaucoup makes the thanks stronger for a favour.
3Someone says Merci to you in a formal situation. What is a suitable reply?
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Je vous en prie.
This matches the formal vous register. With a friend, Je t'en prie is the informal equivalent; both are correct in the right context.
Use S'il vous plaît with strangers and S'il te plaît with friends; say Merci for everyday thanks and Merci beaucoup for stronger thanks; reply with Je vous en prie or Je t'en prie depending on the relationship.
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