A guide to saying it like a local
How to Say "Speak slowly please" in French
Politely ask someone to speak more slowly in French. Essential for understanding.
Parlez plus lentement, s'il vous plaît.
par-LAY ploo LAHN-tuh-MAHN, seel voo PLAYformal
French TTS · 0:01
Use this when someone is speaking too fast for you to understand, perhaps during a train announcement or a conversation with a shopkeeper. It's a polite way to ask for clarification.
Alternatives
- Vous pouvez parler plus lentement, s'il vous plaît ?Slightly softer and more of a question.
- Plus lentement, s'il vous plaît.More direct, but still polite.
Ways to get it wrong
Pronouncing the 't' in 'lentement'
The 't' at the end of 'lentement' is silent.
Forgetting the nasal sound in 'lentement'
The 'en' in 'lentement' is a nasal vowel, like the 'on' in 'song' but without fully closing your mouth.
A small cultural note
While 'Parlez plus lentement, s'il vous plaît' is perfectly correct, French speakers often appreciate a bit of a preamble, like 'Excusez-moi...' before making a request.
The same phrase in other languages
Frequently asked
How to say speak slowly to a friend?
For a friend, you'd switch to the informal 'tu' form: 'Parle plus lentement, s'il te plaît.' This is much more casual.
What if they don't understand my French?
You can follow up with 'Parlez-vous anglais ?' (Do you speak English?) or even 'Je ne comprends pas.' (I don't understand).
Is it rude to ask someone to slow down?
Not at all, as long as you use polite phrasing like 's'il vous plaît'. It shows you're trying to understand them.
