Ferme le robinet, s'il te plaît.

Close the faucet, please.

Breakdown of Ferme le robinet, s'il te plaît.

• s'il te plaît: please
• fermer: to close
• le robinet: the faucet

Questions & Answers about Ferme le robinet, s'il te plaît.

Why is it Ferme and not Fermez or Fermer?

Because it’s the imperative for addressing one person you know (the informal tu form). For most -ER verbs, the tu imperative drops the final -s: tu fermes (you close) → ferme (close!). Fermez addresses more than one person or is the polite/formal form. Fermer is the infinitive (to close).

When would I say Fermez le robinet, s’il vous plaît instead?

Use Fermez …, s’il vous plaît when you’re speaking to:

• more than one person, or
• one person formally (someone you don’t know well, a superior, etc.).

Can I mix registers, like Fermez …, s’il te plaît?

No. Keep them consistent:

• Informal: Ferme …, s’il te plaît.
• Formal/plural: Fermez …, s’il vous plaît.

What does s’il te plaît literally mean, and what’s with the apostrophe?

Literally: “if it pleases you.” s’ is the elision of si + il → s’il (vowel collision). Note: si only contracts before il/ils. It does not elide before elle/elles (you say si elle, not s’elle).

Do I have to write the circumflex in ?