# S’il Vous Plaît Meaning — “Please” in French

> **S’il vous plaît** (seel voo PLEH) means “please” — literally “if it pleases you”. With someone you call *tu*, use **s’il te plaît** (seel tuh PLEH). In writing both shorten to **SVP** and **STP**.

Canonical page: https://cocoonfrench.com/guides/sil-vous-plait-meaning
Published by Cocoon French (https://cocoonfrench.com/) — French for total beginners through
slow, visual stories. A free Club account includes full lessons and a scored speaking drill:
https://club.cocoonfrench.com/login
Updated: 2026-09-07

## Vous or te?

French has two words for “you”, and “please” changes with them. Vous is formal or plural; tu is singular and familiar. Pick the one that matches how you already address the person.

| French | Say it | Use with |
|---|---|---|
| s’il vous plaît | seel voo PLEH | strangers, staff, anyone older, groups |
| s’il te plaît | seel tuh PLEH | friends, family, children, colleagues you know |
| SVP | written only | notes, signs, emails, texts |
| STP | written only | the informal abbreviation |

**When in doubt, use vous** — Being slightly too formal in French costs you nothing. Being too familiar with a stranger, a shopkeeper or someone older is a genuine misstep. Start with vous and let the other person invite you to switch.

## The sound, and the silent letters

Three words, four silent letters. The t on plaît is silent, the s of vous is silent here, and the circumflex on the î changes nothing about the sound — it is a fossil marking an s that French dropped centuries ago (compare English “plaisir” → please).

| Chunk | Say it | Note |
|---|---|---|
| s’il | seel | one syllable, like English “seal” |
| vous | voo | the final s is silent |
| plaît | pleh | silent t; rhymes with “bet” |

**It is one word in speech** — Say it as a single run — seelvooPLEH — rather than three careful words. French phrases carry their stress at the end, and chopping them up is what makes a beginner hardest to understand.

## Where it goes in a sentence

Unlike English, which likes “please” tucked in the middle, French almost always parks it at the end.

| French | English |
|---|---|
| Un café, s’il vous plaît. | A coffee, please. |
| L’addition, s’il vous plaît. | The bill, please. |
| Pouvez-vous répéter, s’il vous plaît ? | Could you repeat that, please? |
| Passe-moi le sel, s’il te plaît. | Pass me the salt, please. |
| S’il vous plaît ! | Excuse me! (to get attention) |

**How to call a waiter** — Not by clicking or waving. Catch their eye and say s’il vous plaît clearly, or excusez-moi. Used on its own like this it means “excuse me” rather than “please” — and it is exactly what French diners do.

## The four-phrase politeness kit

These four, in this order, are the backbone of nearly every short exchange in France. Learn them as one block and an enormous amount of daily life opens up.

| French | Say it | When |
|---|---|---|
| bonjour | bohn-ZHOOR | walking in |
| s’il vous plaît | seel voo PLEH | making the request |
| merci | mehr-SEE | being handed it |
| au revoir | oh ruh-VWAHR | walking out |

## FAQ

### What does s’il vous plaît mean?

“Please.” Literally it means “if it pleases you” — s’il (if it) + vous (you) + plaît (pleases).

### How do you pronounce s’il vous plaît?

seel voo PLEH, run together as one phrase. The s of vous and the t of plaît are both silent.

### What is the difference between s’il vous plaît and s’il te plaît?

S’il vous plaît is formal or plural, for strangers and anyone you address as vous. S’il te plaît is for friends, family and children.

### What does SVP mean?

It is the written abbreviation of s’il vous plaît, used on signs, in emails and in texts. The informal version is STP, for s’il te plaît.

### Where does please go in a French sentence?

Almost always at the end: un café, s’il vous plaît. French rarely places it in the middle the way English does.

### Can s’il vous plaît mean “excuse me”?

Yes. Said on its own to get someone’s attention — a waiter, for instance — it functions as “excuse me”. Excusez-moi works too.

## Related guides

- Thank you in French: https://cocoonfrench.com/guides/thank-you-in-french
- Merci meaning: https://cocoonfrench.com/guides/merci-meaning
- 50 common French phrases: https://cocoonfrench.com/guides/common-french-phrases
- All free French guides: https://cocoonfrench.com/guides