Parle lentement, s'il te plaît.

to speak

Breakdown of Parle lentement, s'il te plaît.

• lentement: slowly
• s'il te plaît: please

Questions & Answers about Parle lentement, s'il te plaît.

Why do we use Parle (without an -s) for the imperative form?

In French, the tu form of the imperative for most -er verbs drops the final -s. So, tu parles (you speak) becomes parle when commanding one person informally.

What’s the difference between Parle lentement and Parlez lentement?

Both are imperative forms. Parle lentement is used when speaking informally to one person (using tu), while Parlez lentement is used for either more than one person or to someone you address more formally (using vous).

Why do we say lentement instead of lent?

Lentement is the adverb meaning slowly, describing how someone should speak. Lent is the adjective meaning slow, which would describe a noun (e.g., un train lent, a slow train), not the manner of speaking.

Why is it s'il te plaît and not s'il vous plaît?

S'il te plaît is the informal way to say "please," addressing one person you know well (using tu). S'il vous plaît fits either multiple people or someone you don’t know very well (using vous).

How do I know when to use Parle vs Parlons vs Parlez in the imperative?

They correspond to the different subjects: • Parle – imperative for tu (informal singular).
• Parlons – imperative for nous (let’s do something together).
• Parlez – imperative for vous (formal singular or plural).