Polite Phrases in French
French politeness is formulaic in a way that helps a learner: the same handful of phrases covers almost every situation. Each one has a formal and an informal form.
Please and thank you
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s'il vous plaît
seel voo PLEH
-
please
s'il te plaît with a friend
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merci
mehr-SEE
-
thank you
-
merci beaucoup
mehr-SEE boh-KOO
-
thank you very much
-
de rien
duh RYAN
-
you're welcome
Literally of nothing. The everyday answer
-
je vous en prie
zhuh voo zon PREE
-
you're welcome
More formal, and also means please do go ahead
Excusing yourself and apologising
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excusez-moi
ex-kuu-zay MWAH
-
excuse me
Before asking a stranger something
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pardon
par-DON
-
sorry, excuse me
Squeezing past, or when you did not hear
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désolé
day-zo-LAY
-
I am sorry
Write désolée if you are female. It sounds the same
-
ce n'est pas grave
suh neh pah GRAHV
-
it doesn't matter
The standard reply to an apology
Phrases for the moment
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à vos souhaits
ah voh SWEH
-
bless you
After a sneeze. à tes souhaits with a friend
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santé
son-TAY
-
cheers
-
bon appétit
bon ah-pay-TEE
-
enjoy your meal
Said before eating, and expected
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félicitations
fay-lee-see-tah-SYON
-
congratulations
-
bonne chance
bun SHONSS
-
good luck
-
bon voyage
bon vwah-YAHZH
-
have a good trip
Vous or te, and the reply to merci
S'il vous plaît and s'il te plaît are the same phrase with a different you inside it. Use vous with anyone you have not been invited to call tu.
There are two normal answers to merci. De rien is the everyday one. Je vous en prie is warmer and more formal, and is what a shopkeeper or a host is likely to say to you.
Politeness in France is a sequence, not a single word: bonjour on arrival, s'il vous plaît with the request, merci on receiving, au revoir on leaving. Skipping the first or the last is what registers as rude.
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