By the end of this lesson you'll be able to ask for things and for help, and choose how polite to be.
Asking someone you call tu
With friends and family, a simple question with pouvoir is all you need. Tu pourrais is a little softer.
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Tu peux… ? | tew PUH | Can you…? (informal) |
| Tu pourrais… ? | tew poo-REH | Could you…? (informal)A fixed phrase for now. |
Tu peux fermer la fenêtre ?
Can you close the window?
Tu pourrais m'aider ?
Could you help me?
Asking someone you call vous
With strangers, in shops and at work, use vous. You know vous pouvez from the lesson on modal verbs and je voudrais as a fixed phrase. These forms are more polite.
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Vous pouvez… ? | voo poo-VAY | Can you…? (formal) |
| Pourriez-vous… ? | poo-ryay VOO | Could you…? (formal)A fixed phrase for now. |
| Est-ce que vous pourriez… ? | es-kuh voo poo-RYAY | Could you…? (formal)A fixed phrase for now. |
| Je pourrais avoir… ? | zhuh poo-reh ah-VWAHR | Could I have…?A fixed phrase for now. |
The forms ending in -rais and -riez belong to a verb tense that you'll learn properly at B1. For now, treat them as fixed phrases and don't try to build others. Each one is followed by an infinitive, or by a noun after Je pourrais avoir.
Pourriez-vous répéter, s'il vous plaît ?
Could you repeat that, please?
Est-ce que vous pourriez m'aider ?
Could you help me?
Je pourrais avoir un verre d'eau ?
Could I have a glass of water?
Pourriez-vous m'apporter l'addition ?
Could you bring me the bill?
How direct does it sound?
| Form | Example | How it sounds | Use it with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bare command | Donnez-moi l'addition. (Give me the bill.) | Abrupt, almost rude | Almost no one |
| Je voudrais | Je voudrais l'addition. (I'd like the bill.) | Polite and clear | Shops, cafés, hotels |
| Pourriez-vous | Pourriez-vous m'apporter l'addition ? (Could you bring me the bill?) | Very polite | Strangers, formal situations |
Polite extras
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Merci de… | mehr-see DUH | Please… (on signs and in writing)Followed by an infinitive. |
| Excusez-moi de vous déranger. | eks-kew-zay mwah duh voo day-rahn-ZHAY | Sorry to bother you. |
| Pas de problème. | pah duh proh-BLEM | No problem. |
| indiquer | an-dee-KAY | to show, to point out (the way) |
| apporter | ah-por-TAY | to bring |
| le sel | luh SEL | the salt |
| Tiens. / Tenez. | tyan / tuh-NAY | Here you are. (tu / vous) |
You already know s'il vous plaît, merci beaucoup, pardon, je vous en prie from the lesson on French politeness, and avec plaisir from the lesson on invitations. Merci de is for signs and written notes: Merci de fermer la porte (Please close the door).
In different places
The same patterns work almost everywhere.
At a hotel, you can reuse what you learned in the lesson on booking a hotel: Je voudrais une chambre pour deux nuits (I'd like a room for two nights).
In the street, start with an apology:
- Excusez-moi de vous déranger. Pourriez-vous m'indiquer la gare ? (Sorry to bother you. Could you show me the way to the station?)
- Oui, c'est tout droit. (Yes, it's straight ahead.)
- Merci beaucoup, madame. (Thank you very much, madam.)
- Je vous en prie. (You're welcome.)
At a restaurant:
- Pardon, monsieur. Je pourrais avoir du pain ? (Excuse me. Could I have some bread?)
- Bien sûr, tout de suite. (Of course, right away.)
- Et pourriez-vous m'apporter l'addition ? (And could you bring me the bill?)
On the phone or at the office, as in the lesson on phone calls and messages:
- Pourriez-vous parler plus lentement ? (Could you speak more slowly?)
- Pas de problème. (No problem.)
With a friend:
- Tu peux me passer le sel ? (Can you pass me the salt?)
- Tiens. (Here you are.)
- Merci ! (Thanks!)
What's next
Next, the lesson on writing an informal email moves from speaking to writing, with friends and family.