Please in Different Languages
Discover 'Please' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Please
Afrikaans asseblief | ||
Albanian ju lutem | ||
Amharic እባክህን | ||
Arabic رجاء | ||
Armenian խնդրում եմ | ||
Assamese অনুগ্ৰহ কৰি | ||
Aymara amp suma | ||
Azerbaijani xahiş edirəm | ||
Bambara sabari | ||
Basque mesedez | ||
Belarusian калі ласка | ||
Bengali অনুগ্রহ | ||
Bhojpuri कृप्या | ||
Bosnian molim te | ||
Bulgarian моля те | ||
Catalan si us plau | ||
Cebuano palihug | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 请 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 請 | ||
Corsican per piacè | ||
Croatian molim | ||
Czech prosím | ||
Danish vær venlig | ||
Dhivehi ޕްލީޒް | ||
Dogri किरपा करियै | ||
Dutch alstublieft | ||
English please | ||
Esperanto bonvolu | ||
Estonian palun | ||
Ewe taflatsɛ | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) pakiusap | ||
Finnish ole kiltti | ||
French s'il vous plaît | ||
Frisian asjebleaft | ||
Galician por favor | ||
Georgian გთხოვთ | ||
German bitte | ||
Greek σας παρακαλούμε | ||
Guarani mína | ||
Gujarati કૃપા કરીને | ||
Haitian Creole tanpri | ||
Hausa don allah | ||
Hawaiian e 'oluʻolu | ||
Hebrew אנא | ||
Hindi कृप्या | ||
Hmong thov | ||
Hungarian kérem | ||
Icelandic takk | ||
Igbo biko | ||
Ilocano maidawat | ||
Indonesian silahkan | ||
Irish le do thoil | ||
Italian per favore | ||
Japanese お願いします | ||
Javanese tulung | ||
Kannada ದಯವಿಟ್ಟು | ||
Kazakh өтінемін | ||
Khmer សូម | ||
Kinyarwanda nyamuneka | ||
Konkani उपकार करून | ||
Korean 부디 | ||
Krio duya | ||
Kurdish ji kerema xwe ve | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) تکایە | ||
Kyrgyz өтүнөмүн | ||
Lao ກະລຸນາ | ||
Latin obsecro, | ||
Latvian lūdzu | ||
Lingala palado | ||
Lithuanian prašau | ||
Luganda -saba | ||
Luxembourgish wann ech glift | ||
Macedonian те молам | ||
Maithili कृपया | ||
Malagasy mba miangavy re | ||
Malay tolonglah | ||
Malayalam ദയവായി | ||
Maltese jekk jogħġbok | ||
Maori tēnā koa | ||
Marathi कृपया | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯆꯥꯟꯕꯤꯗꯨꯅꯥ | ||
Mizo khawngaihin | ||
Mongolian гуйя | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) ကျေးဇူးပြု | ||
Nepali कृपया | ||
Norwegian vær så snill | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) chonde | ||
Odia (Oriya) ଦୟାକରି | ||
Oromo maaloo | ||
Pashto مهرباني وکړه | ||
Persian لطفا | ||
Polish proszę | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) por favor | ||
Punjabi ਕ੍ਰਿਪਾ ਕਰਕੇ | ||
Quechua ama hina | ||
Romanian vă rog | ||
Russian пожалуйста | ||
Samoan faʻamolemole | ||
Sanskrit कृपया | ||
Scots Gaelic mas e do thoil e | ||
Sepedi hle | ||
Serbian молимо вас | ||
Sesotho ka kopo | ||
Shona ndapota | ||
Sindhi مهرباني ڪري | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) කරුණාකර | ||
Slovak prosím | ||
Slovenian prosim | ||
Somali fadlan | ||
Spanish por favor | ||
Sundanese punten | ||
Swahili tafadhali | ||
Swedish snälla du | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) pakiusap | ||
Tajik лутфан | ||
Tamil தயவு செய்து | ||
Tatar зинһар | ||
Telugu దయచేసి | ||
Thai กรุณา | ||
Tigrinya በይዝኦም | ||
Tsonga kombela | ||
Turkish lütfen | ||
Turkmen haýyş edýärin | ||
Twi (Akan) mesrɛ wo | ||
Ukrainian будь ласка | ||
Urdu برائے مہربانی | ||
Uyghur كەچۈرۈڭ | ||
Uzbek iltimos | ||
Vietnamese xin vui lòng | ||
Welsh os gwelwch yn dda | ||
Xhosa ndiyacela | ||
Yiddish ביטע | ||
Yoruba jowo | ||
Zulu ngiyacela |
Etymology & Notes
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | The Afrikaans word "asseblief" is derived from the Dutch phrase "als het u belieft" (if it pleases you). |
| Albanian | The Albanian word 'ju lutem' is cognate with Latin 'placeo', meaning both 'I am pleasing' and 'it pleases me', and with Ancient Greek 'helúskomai', meaning 'I am pleased'. |
| Amharic | The word እባክህን is a conjunction of two verbs: እባ (to beg) and ክህን (to be kind, respectful). |
| Arabic | The word "رجاء" (رجاء) in Arabic can also mean "hope". |
| Azerbaijani | Historically "xahiş edirəm" was a form of "xahiş" meaning petition, plea which is still an alternate usage; also in the form of polite command. |
| Basque | The word "mesedez" also translates to "I would like" and "mercy." |
| Belarusian | The etymology is obscure, though some scholars have connected it to an older Baltic word meaning "I beg for" or "I entreat." |
| Bengali | The word 'অনুগ্রহ' ('please') comes from the Sanskrit word 'अनुग्रह', which means 'favour' or 'grace'. |
| Bosnian | "Molim te" is a phrase in the Slavic language Bosnian that directly translates to "I beg you". |
| Bulgarian | "Моля те" is a Bulgarian phrase that can mean "please" or "I beg you." |
| Catalan | 'Si us plau' comes from Latin 'si vobis placet' or 'if it pleases to you'. |
| Cebuano | "Palihug" in Cebuano can also mean "invite" or, when used in the imperative form (palihuga), "to invite". |
| Chinese (Simplified) | "请" (Simplified Chinese) can also mean "invite" or "request". |
| Chinese (Traditional) | "請" (Traditional Chinese) originally meant "to invite" but today is commonly used as a polite request. |
| Corsican | The Corsican phrase "per piacè" can be literally translated as "for favor" or "for kindness". |
| Croatian | "Molim" in Croatian can also mean "I pray" or "I beg", deriving from the verb "moliti" (to pray). |
| Czech | "Prosím" is a Slavic word common to most Slavic languages (the most similar variant would be "prosić" in Polish), deriving in Proto-Slavic from the phrase "prositi sę", or "to ask with". This phrase was used to ask with an element of a gesture that is no longer in use today: prostration. |
| Danish | The Danish phrase "Vær venlig" can also be used to express politeness or make a request, similar to the English "Be so kind". |
| Dutch | The word "alstublieft" comes from the phrase "al is u het belieft", meaning "if it pleases you". |
| Esperanto | The word "bonvolu" in Esperanto comes from the French "bon" ("good") and "volu" ("will") and literally means "be of good will". |
| Estonian | The Estonian word "palun" is also used to express thanks, and its etymology is connected to the greeting "head bow." |
| Finnish | In the context of folk songs, "ole hyvä" may mean "thank you" rather than "please." |
| French | "S'il vous plaît" comes from the old French phrase "se il vous plaît", which means "if it pleases you." |
| Frisian | The word "asjebleaft" derives from the Old Frisian phrase "asega bliuet", meaning "may it be left to you" |
| Galician | "Por favor" comes from the Latin "pro" (for) + "favorem" (favor), meaning "to ask for a favor". |
| German | "Bitte" comes from the Old High German word "bitten" or "bitte," which also meant "prayer, petition, request". |
| Greek | The word "σας παρακαλούμε" is derived from the Greek verb "παρακαλέω" which means "to call upon, to implore, to beseech". It can also be used as a noun meaning "a request, a prayer". |
| Haitian Creole | Tanpri's origin is from the French term "s'il vous plaît" which means "if it pleases you". |
| Hausa | "Don Allah" is derived from Arabic, translating roughly to "For the sake of Allah" and expressing both politeness and a sense of urgency. |
| Hawaiian | "E 'olu'olu" can also mean "gently" or "carefully" in Hawaiian. |
| Hebrew | The word "אנא" in Hebrew can also be an interjection meaning "oh" or "alas" |
| Hindi | The word 'कृपया' in Hindi is derived from the Sanskrit word 'कृपया' meaning 'kindly' or 'favourably'. |
| Hmong | The Hmong word "thov" also means "to request" and "to beg". |
| Hungarian | Etymology: from Turkish **lütfen** "please" (the regular Turkish word for "please" is rica ederim); possibly assimilated from German "bitte" "please." |
| Icelandic | The word "takk" in Icelandic also means "thanks". |
| Igbo | The Igbo word "biko" is an abbreviation of the phrase "M biko nu", which means "I beg you" and is used to express politeness and respect. |
| Indonesian | The Indonesian word 'silahkan' is derived from the Arabic word 'silat' meaning 'connection', indicating a gesture of invitation or permission. |
| Irish | The Irish phrase 'le do thoil' ('please') translates as 'with your permission'. |
| Italian | Derived from the Latin phrase "per favorem", meaning "by favor", "per favore" literally translates to "by the favor" or "by the kindness". |
| Japanese | お願い (onegāi) can also mean "request," "entreaty," or "favor." |
| Javanese | "Tulung" derives from the Sanskrit word "tulya" meaning "equal," denoting a sense of mutual respect and humility in the request. |
| Kannada | ದಯವಿಟ್ಟು" ("please") is derived from the Sanskrit word "कृपया" ("kindly"), which is also used in other Indian languages like Hindi and Marathi. |
| Kazakh | The word "өтінемін" is derived from the Proto-Turkic verb "*ütüŋ- "to ask, beg", and is related to the Mongolian word "өтини" meaning "to beg, beseech". |
| Khmer | The word "សូម" can also mean "to ask for" or "to beg." |
| Korean | The Korean word '부디' can also be used to express hope or desire. |
| Kurdish | The word "ji kerema xwe ve" is derived from the Persian phrase "ji karam Khuda," meaning "in the name of God's kindness." |
| Kyrgyz | The word өтүнөмүн, meaning "please" in Kyrgyz, originates from the verb өтүн- "to ask" in the imperative mood and the suffix -мүн, which expresses politeness. |
| Lao | The word "ກະລຸນາ" is derived from the Pali word "karuna", which means "compassion". It can also be used to express a request or a favor. |
| Latin | The Latin word "obsecro" may also mean "to entreat" or "to beg". |
| Latvian | The word "lūdzu" also means "you're welcome" or "thank you" in Latvian. |
| Lithuanian | Prašau is thought to derive from a verb meaning “to ask” and is also used to answer “thank you”. |
| Macedonian | The word "те молам" (please) in Macedonian can also mean "I beg you" or "I implore you". |
| Malagasy | The Malagasy phrase "mba miangavy re" is derived from the verb "miangavy" meaning "to ask for something politely" and the particle "re" which adds emphasis. |
| Malay | "Tolonglah" originated from the Malay term "tolong" which means "help". |
| Maltese | The Maltese word "jekk jogħġbok" comes from the Arabic "jayf al-ḥaq," meaning "granting of the right." |
| Maori | The word "tēnā koa" carries multiple meanings and is derived from two components: "tēnā," which can mean "hello" or "greetings," and "koa," which refers to a state of being "pleased" or "agreeable." |
| Marathi | कृपया can also be used as an interjection of disbelief, surprise, or anger, much like the word 'well' in English. |
| Mongolian | The word "гуйя" can also refer to a respectful form of address, similar to the Japanese "-san" suffix. |
| Myanmar (Burmese) | Literally meaning “to do merit,” the Burmese word for "please" carries a sense of humility and obligation. |
| Nepali | The word "कृपया" in Nepali comes from the Sanskrit word "kṛpayā" meaning "out of kindness or favor." |
| Norwegian | In Swedish, "varsågod" means "you're welcome". |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | The word "Chonde" can also be used as an interjection, denoting pain, sadness, or disappointment, similar to "alas" or "woe." |
| Persian | The word "لطفا" is derived from the Arabic word "لطف", which means "kindness" or "favor". Therefore, "لطفا" carries the nuance of asking for something in a kind or polite manner. |
| Polish | In addition to its use as a polite request, "proszę" can also be used as an interjection expressing surprise, gratitude, or sympathy. |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | The Portuguese word "por favor" is derived from the Latin "pro favore" meaning "for a favor". |
| Punjabi | In Hindi, the word "kripaa kur kay" comes from Sanskrit, where "kripaa" means "mercy" and "kur kay" means "do" or "perform". |
| Romanian | The Romanian word "Vă rog" derives from the Slavic word "prositi", meaning "to beg" or "to ask", and originally carried a more formal and respectful tone compared to its modern usage. |
| Russian | "Пожалуйста" can also mean "do not hesitate" in a context of an invitation. |
| Samoan | Faʻamolemole also means 'to soften' or 'to make pliable or smooth', a metaphorical sense derived from the physical act of softening an object. |
| Scots Gaelic | The phrase literally means "it is from the will". |
| Serbian | The word "Молимо вас" originated from the Old Church Slavonic "молити", meaning "to pray" or "to ask for". Thus, it can also carry the connotation of "for God's sake" or "I implore you". |
| Sesotho | The phrase "ka kopo" is also used in the context of requesting, rather than asking, such as "ka kopo o reke metsi" (request me to fetch water). |
| Shona | The word "Ndapota" (please) in Shona is derived from the root "pota," which means "to give" or "to bestow." |
| Sindhi | Derived from the Persian word "مهربان" meaning "kind" or "affectionate" |
| Slovak | In Czech, "prosím" can also mean "I beg", while in Polish it means "I ask". |
| Slovenian | Prosim can be used both as a request of a favour, as well as "you're welcome" when responding to a thank you. |
| Somali | The word "fadlan" can also mean "excuse me" or "thank you" in Somali. |
| Spanish | "Por favor" is a term derived from medieval Latin that used to literally mean "for favor". |
| Sundanese | The root word of **Punten** is **punten** 'to excuse,' which is itself a metathesis of **ponten** 'to cut'. |
| Swahili | The word "tafadhali" can also mean "thank you" in a polite context. |
| Swedish | The Swedish phrase "snälla du" comes from a medieval phrase that meant "I ask you kindly". |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | "Pakiusap" derives from "paki" (request) and "usap" (conversation, talk), emphasizing a polite request through a conversation. |
| Tajik | "Lutfan" can also be used to express "for God's sake" in a plea to another person. |
| Tamil | The word "தயவு செய்து" (please) in Tamil can also mean "out of kindness" or "with compassion". |
| Telugu | The word "దయచేసి" in Telugu can also refer to kindness or mercy. |
| Thai | The Thai word "กรุณา" (please) derives from Sanskrit and Pali, where it means "to show kindness" or "to have compassion." |
| Turkish | The word |
| Ukrainian | "Будь ласка" - an obsolete form of the word "будьте ласкаві" (be kind) |
| Uzbek | The word "Iltimos" in Uzbek is derived from the Persian word "iltemas," meaning "request" or "petition." |
| Vietnamese | Xin vui lòng ('please') is a polite phrase that directly translates to 'I beg you to please' |
| Xhosa | The word 'ndiyacela' is a combination of the noun prefix 'ndi' and 'yacela', meaning 'to ask', and is specifically used for polite requests or to express gratitude. |
| Yiddish | The Yiddish word "ביטע" is derived from the Low German word "bede","beeden" meaning "to ask" or "to pray". |
| Yoruba | 'Jowo' also means 'my darling' or 'my love', expressing affection or endearment. |
| Zulu | Ngiyacela's root, cela, means "beg" but it can also mean "request" or "ask for". |
| English | The original meaning of "please" in Middle English was "to please" someone. |