A guide to saying it like a local
How to Say "Please wait a moment" in French
Politely ask someone to wait briefly in French. Essential for everyday interactions.
Un instant, s'il vous plaît.
uhN-nahN-stahN, SEEL voo PLEHneutral
French TTS · 0:01
Use this when you need someone to pause for a short time, like a shopkeeper waiting for you to find your wallet or a colleague waiting for you to finish a call. It's a polite way to manage brief delays.
Alternatives
- Attendez un moment.Slightly more direct, good for service staff you've already interacted with.
- Un moment.More casual, best with friends or in very informal settings.
Ways to get it wrong
Pronouncing 'instant'
The 't' at the end of 'instant' is silent, and the 'n' is nasalized, not a hard 'n' sound.
Forgetting 's'il vous plaît'
While 'Un instant' is understandable, adding 's'il vous plaît' is crucial for politeness in most French contexts.
A small cultural note
While 's'il vous plaît' is the standard, in very casual settings with close friends, you might hear 'attends une seconde' (wait a second).
The same phrase in other languages
Frequently asked
How to say wait a minute in French?
The most common way is 'Un instant, s'il vous plaît.' This is polite and widely understood.
Is 'Un instant' polite enough?
Adding 's'il vous plaît' makes it fully polite. 'Un instant' alone can sound a bit abrupt depending on tone and context.
What's the difference between 'instant' and 'moment'?
Both mean a short period of time. 'Un instant' often implies a slightly shorter wait than 'un moment,' but they are largely interchangeable here.
