Language/French/Vocabulary/Be-Polite
Hi French learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will focus on French vocabulary related to politeness. Politeness is an essential part of French culture, and mastering it will help you communicate effectively with native speakers. Let's get started!
Expressing Politeness
In French, there are various ways to express politeness. The most common one is to use the formal form when addressing someone you don't know, someone you respect, or someone who is older than you. The formal form uses the polite pronoun "vous" instead of the informal pronoun "tu."
Here are some examples:
| Vous parlez français ? (voo paar-leh frahn-say) | Do you speak French? (formal) |
| Tu parles français ? (too paar-leh frahn-say) | Do you speak French? (informal) |
| Comment allez-vous ? (com-mohn tah-lay voo) | How are you? (formal) |
| Comment vas-tu ? (com-mohn vah too) | How are you? (informal) |
It's important to note that in some situations, it's appropriate to use the informal form even with people you don't know. This is particularly true in casual settings, such as at a party or with friends of friends.
Saying "Please" and "Thank You"
Another important aspect of French politeness is saying "please" and "thank you." Here are some useful words and expressions:
| s'il vous plaît (seel voo pleh) | Please |
| merci (mehr-see) | Thank you |
| je vous en prie (juh voo zahn pree) | You're welcome (formal) |
| de rien (duh ree-ahn) | You're welcome (informal) |
It's common to use "s'il vous plaît" when making a request or asking for something. For example:
- Pourriez-vous m'aider, s'il vous plaît ? (poor-ree-yay voo may-day, seel voo pleh) - Could you help me, please? (formal)
When someone does something for you, you can thank them using "merci." For example:
- Merci beaucoup pour ton aide ! (mehr-see boh-koo poor tohn aid) - Thank you very much for your help! (informal)
Making Apologies
Sometimes, you may need to apologize in French. Here are some useful words and expressions:
| pardon (pahr-dohn) | Sorry / pardon me |
| excusez-moi (ex-koo-say mwa) | Excuse me / I'm sorry (formal) |
| je suis désolé(e) (juh swee day-zoh-ley) | I'm sorry (informal) |
When you accidentally bump into someone, you can say "pardon." For example:
- Pardon, je ne t'avais pas vu(e). (pahr-dohn, juh nuh tah-vay pah voo) - Sorry, I didn't see you. (informal)
If you need to interrupt someone, you can say "excusez-moi." For example:
- Excusez-moi de vous déranger, mais pourriez-vous m'indiquer le chemin ? (ex-koo-say mwa duh voo day-rahn-jay, moo poor-ree-yay voo man-dee-kay luh sheh-mahn) - Excuse me for bothering you, but could you tell me the way? (formal)
Polite Expressions
Lastly, here are some other polite expressions you may encounter:
| s'il vous plaît / s'il te plaît (seel voo/teh pleh) | Please (formal/informal) |
| à votre santé / à la vôtre (ah voh-truh sahn-tay/ah la voh-truh) | Cheers (formal) |
| à bientôt (ah byahn-toh) | See you soon |
| au revoir (oh reh-vwahr) | Goodbye (formal) |
| salut (sah-luu) | Hi / Bye (informal) |
When you are out for drinks with colleagues or friends, you can raise your glass and say "à votre santé" or "à la vôtre" for a formal cheers. For a more informal setting, you can simply say "salut."
Here's an example dialogue to illustrate how to use some of the expressions we covered:
- Person 1: Excusez-moi, est-ce que vous parlez anglais ? (ex-koo-say mwa, ess-kuh voo par-lay ahn-glai) - Excuse me, do you speak English? (formal)
- Person 2: Oui, je parle anglais. (wee, juh par-luh ahn-glai) - Yes, I speak English.
- Person 1: Pourriez-vous m'indiquer où se trouve la gare ? (poor-ree-yay voo man-dee-kay ooh suh troov lah gahr) - Could you tell me where the train station is? (formal)
- Person 2: Bien sûr, la gare se trouve au bout de la rue à gauche. (bee-ahn soor, lah gahr suh troov oh boo duh lah roo ah gohsh) - Of course, the train station is at the end of the street on the left.
- Person 1: Merci beaucoup ! (mehr-see boh-koo) - Thank you very much!
- Person 2: De rien. À bientôt ! (duh ree-ahn. Ah byahn-toh) - You're welcome. See you soon!
Remember, practicing with native speakers is the best way to improve your French politeness skills. You can find native speakers on Polyglot Club and ask them any questions! Don't forget to check out the [Language/French/Vocabulary|Vocabulary] page for more French words and expressions.
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