How to say please, thank you and sorry in French
Excusez-moi, madame.
“Excuse me (to a woman).”
When: flagging down staff or stopping a stranger
The moment
You are in a busy pharmacy in Paris and the assistant is serving someone else. You need to catch her attention, ask for something, and thank her properly.
A1 · Unit 1 · First words
The lines
Getting someone's attention
To interrupt a stranger politely, say "Excusez-moi, madame." It is the safe way to stop a waiter, a shop assistant or a passer-by without sounding rude.
Excusez-moi, madame.
“Excuse me (to a woman).”
When to use it: flagging down staff or stopping a stranger
What you’ll hear back: Oui ? Je peux vous aider ? (Yes? Can I help you?)
Thanking properly
"Merci beaucoup" is thank you very much, and it is worth the extra word almost every time. The reply you will hear back is je vous en prie.
Merci beaucoup !
“Thank you very much!”
When to use it: when you are handed anything or helped
What you’ll hear back: Je vous en prie. (You're welcome.)
Words for this scene
| French | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| s'il vous plaît | seel voo PLEH | please |
Un croissant, s'il vous plaît. A croissant, please. Tip: It goes at the end of the request, not the start. | ||
| De rien | duh RYAN | you're welcome / no problem |
De rien, monsieur, bonne journée ! You're welcome, sir, have a good day! Tip: The relaxed everyday reply; je vous en prie sounds more formal. | ||
| Pardon ! | par-DON | sorry / excuse me |
Pardon, je descends ici ! Sorry, I'm getting off here! Tip: For squeezing past people; for a real mistake say je suis désolé. | ||
Your objective
Get someone’s attention politely, ask them for help with one thing, and thank them.
- excuse me
- what you need
- thank you
Lines that get it done
- Excusez-moi, madame.
- Un croissant, s'il vous plaît. · A croissant, please.
- Merci beaucoup !
In the live scene the objective stays on screen, and the Replay afterwards says whether you got it done.
Check yourself
1. You want to get a waiter's attention across the terrace. What do you say?
- Excusez-moi, monsieur !
- Salut, monsieur !
- Merci, monsieur !
- De rien, monsieur !
Show the answer
Excusez-moi, monsieur !
Excusez-moi is the polite way to interrupt anyone you don't know.
2. Which is the natural way to ask for a coffee at the counter?
- Un café, s'il vous plaît.
- S'il vous plaît un café.
- Je veux un café.
- Un café, pardon.
Show the answer
Un café, s'il vous plaît.
Name what you want, then close with s'il vous plaît.
3. You hold the door and the woman behind you says "Merci !". What do you reply?
- De rien !
- S'il vous plaît !
- Merci beaucoup !
- Pardon !
Show the answer
De rien !
De rien is the everyday you're welcome after someone thanks you.