# FR: veuillez / voulez-vous



## Docbike

Hi everyone

I know that "veuillez" is used as a sort of "please", but the WR conjugation of vouloir give both veuillez and voulez as the plural imperative.  Can someone please explain the grammatical difference? Also are "veuillez" and SVP interchangable? I know they can both be used in the same sentence, so presumably not quite.


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## Micia93

"veuillez" is *very formal*
"veuillez vous assoir SVP"
"voulez-vous vous assoir SVP" will have a different construction, as you can see it


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## Gutenberg

Use "veuillez" when you give an order or a strong suggestion. This form is the imperative. For instance, if I want to say "Please do not go beyond this line", I should say in French : "Veuillez ne pas dépasser cette ligne". This order is still quite polite, and this is the form you should use when speaking with someone you don't know or with whom you are not familiar (this is called "le vous de politesse").

The form "voulez" is the 2nd person of the plural of the present of the indicative. To say "Would you like to go to Paris?", I should say in French : "Voulez-vous aller à Paris ?". This form does not exists in the imperative. Use always "Veuillez" to give an order, an advice, a suggestion to a person you are not familiar with. To do the same to a person you are very familiar with, use the 2nd person of the indicative : "Veux-tu aller à Paris ?".

But (there is always a "but"), if you speak to two or more persons you are familiar with, use "Voulez" : "John and Paul, do you want to go to Paris?" --> "Jean et Paul, voulez-vous aller à Paris ?"

The verb "Vouloir" is an irregular one, as "pouvoir" and a few others.


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## pinkfish80

the plural imperative of "vouloir" is "veuillez". "voulez" is used for "le présent de l'indicatif" only. You are right, it can't also be used to mean "please", but it can be interchangeable with SVP, i mean you need to reformulate your sentence in this case.


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## Docbike

Many thanks all.  I was misled by the conjugator.  Now it is clear.


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## Maped40

The conjugator is right, "vouloir" does have 2 imperatives. You say "Veuillez entrer" (polite order) but you can say "ne m'en voulez pas" as well as "ne m'en veuillez pas", for instance.


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## Docbike

Cool! In English the verb "want" doesn't have an imperative.  Our language makes the assumption that you cannot order someone to want something!  One more thing for wannabe Francophones to get their heads round!


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## sinopoli

Is it ever possible, or apt, to use "veuille" 2nd person singular ?

Thanks from Ernie


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## Micia93

No, it doesn't exist with the 2nd person singular, only with the 3rd : "qu'il veuille ...."
The fact is that "veuillez" is formal and used when you "vouvoyez" somebody.
So, no need to be so formal with a person you "tutoie"


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## sinopoli

My Goodness Micia, that was so quick.  Many thanks, I had never seen the word before.  It seems the subjunctive is dropped in this instance ?

2nd person was a typo, but thank you for the correction.


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## pointvirgule

sinopoli said:


> Is it ever possible, or apt, to use "veuille" 2nd person singular ?


If you are asking about _veuille_, 2nd person singular of the imperative of _vouloir_, it does exist... in older texts, but is pretty much unusual in modern French. Whereas one may say, _Veuillez vous asseoir_, _Veuille t'asseoir_ is not something one is likely to hear.

Unless wanting to be playful: _Ô Gudule, veuille faire de moi l'homme le plus heureux du monde..._

However, the alternative form is common with the verb _en vouloir à_: _Ne m'en veux pas._

N.B. – _Qu'il veuille_ is not in the imperative, it's in the subjunctive. There is no third person in the imperative mood.


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## G M C

So of the following two sentences which is more polite?

Veuillez me suivre.
Voulez-vous me suivre.


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## Maître Capello

_Voulez-vous_ + <infinitive clause> may sometimes be used a disguised command, but I would typically add *bien* (e.g., _Voulez-vous *bien* me suivre ?_). Otherwise it sounds like a mere question: _Voulez-vous me suivre *?*_

At any rate, _veuillez_ is not really more polite than _voulez-vous bien_; it just sounds more formal.


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## G M C

Merci bien !


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## m bell

sinopoli said:


> Is it ever possible, or apt, to use "veuille" 2nd person singular ?



I am not a native speaker, but I can think of one occasion where it might make sense to say something like "Veuille t'asseoir.". You see, the French use "tu", not "vous", with their parents. On the other hand, children are taught to speak to their parents with respect, so a person might actually say something like "Veuille m'excuser/t'asseoir/me suivre/whatever." to one of his or her parents. Of course, we'll have to wait and see what the native speakers say!


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## jekoh

That's not very likely at all. If anything, a child saying _asseyez-vous, _or_ suivez moi_ (using _vous_ and not _tu_) to one of his or her parents is more likely.


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## m bell

That's really weird because all of my French friends address their parents using "tu". Maybe it's because they're all in their twenties.


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## jekoh

Addressing your parents with _vous_ is certainly rare but it does exist. Using _veuille(z)_ is a lot more formal than using _vous_, that's why it's not really possible to use it with _tu_.


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## m bell

Oh, I see. Merci !


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## Maître Capello

jekoh said:


> it's not really possible to use it with _tu_


While this is correct for commands in modern French, it excludes set phrases like _Ne m'en veuille pas_.


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## OLN

Personne n'a encore cité l'auxiliaire modal _will_.
Je ne sens pas de différence entre les prières polies _Voulez-vous bien... ?/Si vous voulez bien... _et _Will you please..._?_/If you will... _(follow me, excuse me, etc.)
Y en a-t-il une ?


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