French · Greetings & Essentials

"More slowly, please" in French: plus lentement, s'il vous plaît

plus lentement, s'il vous plaît

Say it: plü lahn-tuh-MAHN seel voo playphrase/ply lɑ̃t.mɑ̃ sil vu plɛ/

More slowly, please in French is plus lentement, s'il vous plaît. Use it with strangers and staff. With friends you can say plus lentement, s'il te plaît, but the headword keeps vous.

At the prefecture desk

Plus lentement, s'il vous plaîtje prends des notes.
More slowly, please—I'm taking notes.
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How to pronounce plus lentement, s'il vous plaît

Say it

plü lahn-tuh-MAHN seel voo play

/ply lɑ̃t.mɑ̃ sil vu plɛ/

plü lahn-tuh-MAHN seel voo play. Lentement stresses -ment; space before ?

"More slowly, please" in French: quick reference

FrenchEnglish
Plus lentement, s'il vous plaîtMore slowly, please

Formal full phrase.

Plus lentement, s'il te plaîtMore slowly, please

Informal tu version.

Doucement, s'il vous plaîtGently / slowly, please

Softer ask.

Vous pouvez parler plus lentement ?Can you speak more slowly?

Full question.

How to use plus lentement, s'il vous plaît in real life

  1. 1At the prefecture desk

    Plus lentement, s'il vous plaîtje prends des notes.

    More slowly, please—I'm taking notes.

    Full formal phrase.

  2. 2Phone support

    Plus lentement, s'il vous plaît, je n'ai pas tout saisi.

    More slowly, please—I didn't catch everything.

    Call clarity.

  3. 3Pharmacy counter

    Plus lentement, s'il vous plaît, pour la posologie.

    More slowly, please, for the dosage.

    Medical detail.

Mistakes English speakers make with plus lentement, s'il vous plaît

Incorrect: Plus lente, s'il vous plaît.

Correct: Plus lentement, s'il vous plaît.

Use the adverb lentement, not the adjective lente.

Incorrect: Plus lentement s'il vous plaît?

Correct: Plus lentement, s'il vous plaît ?

Keep the courtesy tag and put a space before ? in French.

Good to know

Asking someone to slow down is normal and polite—pair it with a smile. Staff hear plus lentement, s'il vous plaît all day from learners. Doucement works too when volume or pace both feel rushed.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Catching an address from a clerk

  1. ChatPal

    Il a dit le numéro trop vite.

    He said the number too fast.

  2. You

    Plus lentement, s'il vous plaît ?

    More slowly, please?

  3. ChatPal

    Bien. Répète : plus lentement, s'il vous plaît.

    Good. Say again: more slowly, please.

  4. You

    Merci, j'ai le numéro maintenant.

    Thanks, I have the number now.

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"More slowly, please" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "More slowly, please" in French

How do you say more slowly, please?

Plus lentement, s'il vous plaît.

What if I'm with a friend?

Plus lentement, s'il te plaît.

Can I say doucement?

Yes—Doucement, s'il vous plaît is softer.

Where does the space go before ?

Always: plaît ?

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