FlexiLingoIn one line
Any question to a stranger must open with
Excusez-moiand close withs'il vous plaît— without those two, the question is heard as an order.
English builds politeness into the question itself — "could you possibly tell me…", "I was wondering whether…" French builds it into a frame around the question: an opener, then a fairly plain question, then
s'il vous plaît. A bareOù est la gare ?is not impolite in its wording; it is impolite because the frame is missing.
Phrases
Opening the question
| French | Pronunciation | English | Register |
|---|---|---|---|
Excusez-moi… | /ɛks.ky.ze mwa/ | excuse me | standard |
Pardon, … | /paʁ.dɔ̃/ | excuse me | shorter |
Excusez-moi de vous déranger. | /ɛks.ky.ze.mwa də vu de.ʁɑ̃.ʒe/ | sorry to bother you | more polite |
S'il vous plaît… | /sil vu plɛ/ | excuse me | to get attention |
Une question, s'il vous plaît. | /yn kɛs.tjɔ̃ sil vu plɛ/ | a question, please | direct |
Je peux vous demander quelque chose ? | /ʒə pø vu də.mɑ̃.de kɛl.kə ʃɔz/ | can I ask you something? | more casual |
Asking for information
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
Vous savez où est… ? | /vu sa.vez u ɛ/ | do you know where … is? |
Vous pouvez me dire… ? | /vu pu.ve mə diʁ/ | can you tell me…? |
Pourriez-vous me dire… ? | /pu.ʁje.vu mə diʁ/ | could you tell me…? — formal |
Je voudrais savoir… | /ʒə vu.dʁɛ sa.vwaʁ/ | I'd like to know |
Je cherche… | /ʒə ʃɛʁʃ/ | I'm looking for |
Est-ce qu'il y a… ? | /ɛs ki.lja/ | is there…? |
C'est où… ? | /sɛt u/ | where is…? — informal |
À quelle heure… ? | /a kɛl œʁ/ | what time…? |
Combien ça coûte ? | /kɔ̃.bjɛ̃ sa kut/ | how much is it? |
Comment on fait pour… ? | /kɔ.mɑ̃ ɔ̃ fɛ puʁ/ | how do you go about…? |
When you did not understand
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
Pardon ? | /paʁ.dɔ̃/ | sorry? |
Comment ? | /kɔ.mɑ̃/ | sorry, what? |
Vous pouvez répéter ? | /vu pu.ve ʁe.pe.te/ | could you repeat that? |
Plus lentement, s'il vous plaît. | /ply lɑ̃t.mɑ̃ sil vu plɛ/ | more slowly, please |
Je n'ai pas compris. | /ʒə ne pa kɔ̃.pʁi/ | I didn't understand |
Qu'est-ce que ça veut dire ? | /kɛs.kə sa vø diʁ/ | what does that mean? |
Comment ça s'écrit ? | /kɔ.mɑ̃ sa se.kʁi/ | how is that spelt? |
Vous pouvez épeler ? | /vu pu.ve.z‿e.ple/ | could you spell it? |
Je ne parle pas très bien français. | /ʒə nə paʁl pa tʁɛ bjɛ̃ fʁɑ̃.sɛ/ | I don't speak French very well |
Vous parlez anglais ? | /vu paʁ.le ɑ̃.ɡlɛ/ | do you speak English? |
Comment ?is politer thanQuoi ?.Quoi ?on its own sounds blunt in French — it is closer to "what?" barked than to "sorry?".
Confirming you have understood
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
D'accord. | /da.kɔʁ/ | all right |
Je vois. | /ʒə vwa/ | I see |
Ah, très bien. | /a tʁɛ bjɛ̃/ | ah, good |
Si j'ai bien compris, … | /si ʒe bjɛ̃ kɔ̃.pʁi/ | if I've understood correctly |
C'est-à-dire… ? | /sɛ.ta.diʁ/ | meaning…? |
Donc, il faut… ? | /dɔ̃k il fo/ | so I need to…? |
Thanking after an answer
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
Merci beaucoup. | /mɛʁ.si bo.ku/ | thank you very much |
Merci, c'est gentil. | /mɛʁ.si sɛ ʒɑ̃.ti/ | thanks, that's kind |
Merci de votre aide. | /mɛʁ.si də votʁ ɛd/ | thanks for your help |
Vous êtes très aimable. | /vuz ɛt tʁɛz ɛ.mabl/ | that's very good of you |
Three levels of politeness for one question
| Level | Example | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| direct | C'est où, la gare ? | /sɛ.t‿u la ɡaʁ/ |
| polite | Excusez-moi, où est la gare ? | /ɛks.ky.ze.mwa u ɛ la ɡaʁ/ |
| very polite | Excusez-moi de vous déranger. Pourriez-vous me dire où se trouve la gare, s'il vous plaît ? | /ɛks.ky.ze.mwa də vu de.ʁɑ̃.ʒe/ · /pu.ʁje.vu mə diʁ u sə tʁuv la ɡaʁ sil vu plɛ/ |
In an exam, the second level is right. The third is for formal situations, and the first only with a friend.
Traps
| Trap | Explanation |
|---|---|
Without Excusez-moi, a question is an order | Even a simple one. |
Quoi ? alone is blunt | Say Comment ? or Pardon ?. |
Pourriez-vous is politer than Pouvez-vous | The conditional carries the politeness. See conditionnel-present. |
Je voudrais savoir, not Je veux savoir | Je veux is abrupt. |
répéter, not redire | Vous pouvez répéter ? |
Vous parlez anglais ? only after trying | Asking first can be taken as rude. Try French first. |
s'il vous plaît is three separate words | s'il vous plaît — with the apostrophe and the circumflex. Writing it as one word is a common error. |
The sixth row is worth taking seriously. Opening with
Vous parlez anglais ?before attempting any French is read, fairly or not, as an assumption that the other person should accommodate you. Attempt the French first, however badly; thenJe ne parle pas très bien françaisinvites help rather than demanding it.
When you understood nothing
four sentences that always rescue the conversation
In the speaking exam, not understanding is not a problem — reacting correctly earns marks.
Four sentences, in order of use:
1. Ask for a repeat.
Pardon, vous pouvez répéter, s'il vous plaît ?
2. Ask them to slow down.
Un peu plus lentement, s'il vous plaît.
3. Ask what a word means.
Qu'est-ce que ça veut dire, « … » ?
4. Confirm in your own words.
Si j'ai bien compris, vous voulez dire que… ?
The fourth is the best — it shows you have tried to understand and gives the other person a chance to correct you.
And what you should not do:
| ❌ | Why |
|---|---|
| silence | the examiner concludes you cannot react |
| nodding without understanding | you lose the next sentence too |
| switching straight to English | you lose marks in a French exam |
In the assessment criteria, "compensation strategies" are a positive axis — the ability to keep a conversation going despite limited language.
So not understanding and asking properly beats half-understanding and staying quiet.
One habit worth changing: English-speaking learners tend to bluff — nod, smile, and hope the next sentence clarifies things. In a French exam that is the worst option, because the criteria explicitly reward asking for clarification. Saying Vous pouvez répéter ? gains marks; guessing loses them.