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French politeness is more rigorously observed than English politeness in some specific contexts: shop interactions, requests to strangers, and the formal vous register all expect \"please\" as part of the polite formula. 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The two phrases are pronounced quickly in spoken French, often becoming \"s'voo pleh\" or \"s'tuh pleh\" in fast speech.",{"type":22,"tag":31,"props":114,"children":115},{},[116],{"type":28,"value":117},"Common abbreviations in writing:",{"type":22,"tag":84,"props":119,"children":120},{},[121,131],{"type":22,"tag":88,"props":122,"children":123},{},[124,129],{"type":22,"tag":37,"props":125,"children":126},{},[127],{"type":28,"value":128},"SVP",{"type":28,"value":130}," - s'il vous plait (formal abbreviation, widely used in writing).",{"type":22,"tag":88,"props":132,"children":133},{},[134,139],{"type":22,"tag":37,"props":135,"children":136},{},[137],{"type":28,"value":138},"STP",{"type":28,"value":140}," - s'il te plait (informal abbreviation, used in text messages and casual writing).",{"type":22,"tag":52,"props":142,"children":144},{"id":143},"position-in-the-sentence",[145],{"type":28,"value":146},"Position in the sentence",{"type":22,"tag":31,"props":148,"children":149},{},[150,155],{"type":22,"tag":37,"props":151,"children":152},{},[153],{"type":28,"value":154},"S'il vous plaît \u002F S'il te plaît",{"type":28,"value":156}," is positionally flexible:",{"type":22,"tag":84,"props":158,"children":159},{},[160,170,180],{"type":22,"tag":88,"props":161,"children":162},{},[163,168],{"type":22,"tag":37,"props":164,"children":165},{},[166],{"type":28,"value":167},"End",{"type":28,"value":169}," (most common): \"Pourriez-vous m'aider, s'il vous plait?\" (Could you help me, please?)",{"type":22,"tag":88,"props":171,"children":172},{},[173,178],{"type":22,"tag":37,"props":174,"children":175},{},[176],{"type":28,"value":177},"Beginning",{"type":28,"value":179},": \"S'il vous plait, pourriez-vous m'aider?\" (Please, could you help me?)",{"type":22,"tag":88,"props":181,"children":182},{},[183,188],{"type":22,"tag":37,"props":184,"children":185},{},[186],{"type":28,"value":187},"As standalone",{"type":28,"value":189},": \"S'il vous plait!\" (Excuse me! \u002F Please!) - to get attention.",{"type":22,"tag":31,"props":191,"children":192},{},[193],{"type":28,"value":194},"The standalone use of \"s'il vous plait\" to get a server's attention is universal in French restaurants and shops.",{"type":22,"tag":52,"props":196,"children":198},{"id":197},"the-formal-informal-distinction",[199],{"type":28,"value":200},"The formal-informal distinction",{"type":22,"tag":31,"props":202,"children":203},{},[204],{"type":28,"value":205},"The formal-informal distinction at \"please\" matters more in French than in English:",{"type":22,"tag":84,"props":207,"children":208},{},[209,218],{"type":22,"tag":88,"props":210,"children":211},{},[212,216],{"type":22,"tag":37,"props":213,"children":214},{},[215],{"type":28,"value":95},{"type":28,"value":217}," with strangers, in any business context, in shops and restaurants, with anyone older than you whom you have just met.",{"type":22,"tag":88,"props":219,"children":220},{},[221,225],{"type":22,"tag":37,"props":222,"children":223},{},[224],{"type":28,"value":105},{"type":28,"value":226}," with friends, family, children, and contexts where you have already established the informal tu.",{"type":22,"tag":31,"props":228,"children":229},{},[230,232,237,239,244],{"type":28,"value":231},"The mistake English speakers make: defaulting to ",{"type":22,"tag":37,"props":233,"children":234},{},[235],{"type":28,"value":236},"s'il te plait",{"type":28,"value":238}," for everyone. This reads as inappropriately casual with strangers and in service contexts. 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A request in the ",{"type":22,"tag":37,"props":347,"children":348},{},[349],{"type":28,"value":343},{"type":28,"value":351}," form is already polite at the verb level.",{"type":22,"tag":52,"props":353,"children":355},{"id":354},"variations-of-please-beyond-sil-vous-plait",[356],{"type":28,"value":357},"Variations of please beyond s'il vous plait",{"type":22,"tag":31,"props":359,"children":360},{},[361],{"type":28,"value":362},"French has several phrases that function as politeness intensifiers:",{"type":22,"tag":364,"props":365,"children":366},"table",{},[367,391],{"type":22,"tag":368,"props":369,"children":370},"thead",{},[371],{"type":22,"tag":372,"props":373,"children":374},"tr",{},[375,381,386],{"type":22,"tag":376,"props":377,"children":378},"th",{},[379],{"type":28,"value":380},"Phrase",{"type":22,"tag":376,"props":382,"children":383},{},[384],{"type":28,"value":385},"Translation",{"type":22,"tag":376,"props":387,"children":388},{},[389],{"type":28,"value":390},"Context",{"type":22,"tag":392,"props":393,"children":394},"tbody",{},[395,413,430,448,466,484,502,520],{"type":22,"tag":372,"props":396,"children":397},{},[398,403,408],{"type":22,"tag":399,"props":400,"children":401},"td",{},[402],{"type":28,"value":95},{"type":22,"tag":399,"props":404,"children":405},{},[406],{"type":28,"value":407},"Please (formal)",{"type":22,"tag":399,"props":409,"children":410},{},[411],{"type":28,"value":412},"Universal",{"type":22,"tag":372,"props":414,"children":415},{},[416,420,425],{"type":22,"tag":399,"props":417,"children":418},{},[419],{"type":28,"value":105},{"type":22,"tag":399,"props":421,"children":422},{},[423],{"type":28,"value":424},"Please (informal)",{"type":22,"tag":399,"props":426,"children":427},{},[428],{"type":28,"value":429},"Universal informal",{"type":22,"tag":372,"props":431,"children":432},{},[433,438,443],{"type":22,"tag":399,"props":434,"children":435},{},[436],{"type":28,"value":437},"Je vous en prie",{"type":22,"tag":399,"props":439,"children":440},{},[441],{"type":28,"value":442},"I beg you \u002F please \u002F go ahead",{"type":22,"tag":399,"props":444,"children":445},{},[446],{"type":28,"value":447},"Universal formal warm",{"type":22,"tag":372,"props":449,"children":450},{},[451,456,461],{"type":22,"tag":399,"props":452,"children":453},{},[454],{"type":28,"value":455},"Je t'en prie",{"type":22,"tag":399,"props":457,"children":458},{},[459],{"type":28,"value":460},"Please \u002F go ahead",{"type":22,"tag":399,"props":462,"children":463},{},[464],{"type":28,"value":465},"Informal warm",{"type":22,"tag":372,"props":467,"children":468},{},[469,474,479],{"type":22,"tag":399,"props":470,"children":471},{},[472],{"type":28,"value":473},"Veuillez...",{"type":22,"tag":399,"props":475,"children":476},{},[477],{"type":28,"value":478},"Would you please \u002F be so good as to...",{"type":22,"tag":399,"props":480,"children":481},{},[482],{"type":28,"value":483},"Very formal written",{"type":22,"tag":372,"props":485,"children":486},{},[487,492,497],{"type":22,"tag":399,"props":488,"children":489},{},[490],{"type":28,"value":491},"Auriez-vous l'amabilite de...",{"type":22,"tag":399,"props":493,"children":494},{},[495],{"type":28,"value":496},"Would you have the amiability to...",{"type":22,"tag":399,"props":498,"children":499},{},[500],{"type":28,"value":501},"Very formal",{"type":22,"tag":372,"props":503,"children":504},{},[505,510,515],{"type":22,"tag":399,"props":506,"children":507},{},[508],{"type":28,"value":509},"S'il vous plait, je vous en prie",{"type":22,"tag":399,"props":511,"children":512},{},[513],{"type":28,"value":514},"Please, I beg you",{"type":22,"tag":399,"props":516,"children":517},{},[518],{"type":28,"value":519},"Compound emphasis",{"type":22,"tag":372,"props":521,"children":522},{},[523,528,533],{"type":22,"tag":399,"props":524,"children":525},{},[526],{"type":28,"value":527},"Si cela ne vous derange pas",{"type":22,"tag":399,"props":529,"children":530},{},[531],{"type":28,"value":532},"If it does not disturb you",{"type":22,"tag":399,"props":534,"children":535},{},[536],{"type":28,"value":537},"Polite softener",{"type":22,"tag":264,"props":539,"children":541},{"id":540},"je-vous-en-prie",[542],{"type":28,"value":437},{"type":22,"tag":31,"props":544,"children":545},{},[546],{"type":28,"value":547},"A multi-purpose polite phrase that has several functions:",{"type":22,"tag":84,"props":549,"children":550},{},[551,561,571],{"type":22,"tag":88,"props":552,"children":553},{},[554,559],{"type":22,"tag":37,"props":555,"children":556},{},[557],{"type":28,"value":558},"\"You're welcome\"",{"type":28,"value":560}," in response to \"merci\" (the warm formal version).",{"type":22,"tag":88,"props":562,"children":563},{},[564,569],{"type":22,"tag":37,"props":565,"children":566},{},[567],{"type":28,"value":568},"\"Please go ahead\"",{"type":28,"value":570}," - 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