More Ways of Saying "Please" and Other Formal Requests

In our previous lesson, we discussed ways to make a friendly and polite request in various situations in French. There is yet another level of formality that requires more sophisticated language, often in the form of set expressions and polite formulas, which we are going to explore in this lesson. 

In addition to the more common ways of saying “please” in French—the informal s'il te plaît and the formal s'il vous plaît—there are yet more formal equivalents of “please." One of them is je vous prie (literally, "I pray you"). As Nelly points out in her video, this kind of “please,” je vous prie, almost sounds too impersonal in a restaurant setting:

Pourrais-je avoir le menu, je vous prie ?

Could I have the menu, please?

Caption 41, Français avec Nelly Alternatives to "je veux" - Part 2

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You are more likely to hear je vous prie in a more formal situation such as in a courtroom, like the judge in this video uses it: 

Asseyez-vous, je vous prie.

Sit down, please.

Caption 54, Le Jour où tout a basculé À l'audience: Détournement d'argent dans le couple ? - Part 1

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In the same video, another judge uses an even slightly more formal expression, veuillez (the imperative form of vouloir, “to want”). The two phrases are pretty much interchangeable, as both are impersonal, although you could argue that veuillez is more of a direct command while je vous prie is more of an invitation:

Veuillez vous asseoir.

Please take a seat.

Caption 24, Le Jour où tout a basculé À l'audience: Détournement d'argent dans le couple ? - Part 1

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It is also possible to combine these two ways of saying “please” in the same sentence. In English, we tend to avoid such repetition, but the second "please," je vous prie, tacked on at the end softens the tone of the request:

Baptiste, veuillez vous présenter à la barre, je vous prie.

Baptiste, please take the stand.

Caption 31, Le Jour où tout a basculé À l'audience - Volé par sa belle-mère ? - Part 6

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On the other hand, when starting a sentence with je vous prie, it has the opposite effect! In the context of this video, where an employee in trouble is asking his boss for forgiveness, je vous prie sounds more like an urgent plea:

Je vous prie de m'excuser.

Please forgive me.

Caption 9, Le Jour où tout a basculé Ma collègue veut ma place - Part 8

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The expression je vous prie de + infinitive can also express an order, an official request to comply with the rules. In this episode of our Zooriginaux series, the officious penguin is asking the lion Sir Tigris to get out or else. So in this case, je vous prie de translates as “I’m asking you to,” said in a firm tone of voice:

Je suis désolé, Sir Tigris, mais le règlement interdit de déranger les artistes. Je vous prie donc de sortir.

I'm sorry, Sir Tigris, but the rules forbid disturbing the artists. So I'm asking you to please get out.

Captions 24-26, Les zooriginaux 6. Tiger Minor - Part 2

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Incidentally, do not confuse je vous prie with je vous en prie, which means something entirely different. It is the formal equivalent of de rien (you're welcome):

Merci infiniment. -Je vous en prie, merci. -À très bientôt.

Thanks a million. -You're welcome, thank you. -See you very soon.

Caption 78, Le Mans TV Mon Village - Malicorne - Part 4

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All the expressions mentioned so far can be used in writing or in formal speech, but there are some formal instructions only found in writing. You may have come across public signs starting with the very impersonal expression prière de (literally, "prayer to"). This expression often features on public signs, notices, and official documents. Since there is no direct translation, its meaning will become clear with an example. If you ever see the road sign Prière de ne pas stationner, it is in your interest to understand it if you want to avoid a parking ticket! 

Prière de ne pas stationner. Emplacement reservé.

No parking. Reserved parking.

There is another public sign that you might like to take heed of: il est interdit sous peine d’amende (it is forbidden under penalty of a fine). In this video, Daniel Benchimol reads the long list of rules on a sign in a public park:

Il est interdit donc sous peine d'amende de marcher sur les pelouses et massifs

So it is forbidden, under penalty of a fine, to walk on the lawns and flowerbeds

Captions 34-35, Voyage en France Soissons - Part 2

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Likewise, it is best not to ignore the words défense de + infinitive, forbidding you to perform certain actions, unless you are willing to break the law. Now that smoking has fallen out of favor in France, you may come across more "No Smoking" signs in cafés:

Défense de fumer

No smoking

There is yet another form of request that is extremely impersonal, the formula ne pas + infinitive. The verb addresses no one in particular and, as in prière de and défense de, remains in the infinitive form instead of the imperative mood used for commands. In the context of this song, the use of the infinitive is a plea for help, as the singer is asking people to stop being indifferent to the plight of starving children in drought-stricken East Africa:

Ne pas les laisser dans l'indifférence et l'oubli

Don't leave them in indifference and neglect

Caption 59, Lesieur Des Ricochets

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Now you know that there is more than one way of saying “please” in French, ranging from very friendly to formal and impersonal. And you are now aware that some formal instructions only appear in writing. Don't fret too much over the differences between some of these expressions, as they are often subtle and subjective. Just be mindful of the level of the formality of a situation and remain respectful when making a request or receiving a request. Merci de bien vouloir consulter les vidéos sur Yabla (please watch our Yabla videos) to help you navigate the nuances and differences in formal language. Thank you for reading!