Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense pleases, present participle pleasing, past tense, past participle pleased
1. adverb
You say please when you are politely asking or inviting someone to do something.
[politeness]
Can you help us please?
Would you please open the door?
Please come in.
'May I sit here?'—'Please do.'
Can we have the bill please?
2. adverb
You say please when you are accepting something politely.
[formulae]
'Tea?'—'Yes, please.'
'You want an apple with your cheese?'—'Please.'
3. convention
You can say please to indicate that you want someone to stop doing something or stop speaking. You would say this if, for example, what they are doing or saying makes you angry or upset.
[feelings]
Please, Mary, this is all so unnecessary.
Isabella. Please. I don't have time for this.
4. convention
You can say please in order to attract someone's attention politely. Children in particular say 'please' to attract the attention of a teacher or other adult.
[mainly British, politeness]
Please sir, can we have some more?
Please, Miss Smith, a moment.
5. verb
If someone or something pleases you, they make you feel happy and satisfied.
More than anything, I want to please you. [VERB noun]
Much of the food pleases rather than excites. [VERB]
It pleased him to talk to her. [VERB noun to-infinitive]
6.
See as you please/whatever you please
7.
See as you please
8.
See if you please
9.
See if you please
10.
See please yourself
11. please God
More Synonyms of please
please in British English
(pliːz)
verb
1.
to give satisfaction, pleasure, or contentment to (a person); make or cause (a person) to be glad
2.
to be the will of or have the will (to)
if it pleases you
the court pleases
3. if you please
4. pleased with
5. please oneself
adverb
6. (sentence modifier)
used in making polite requests and in pleading, asking for a favour, etc
please don't tell the police where I am
7. yes please
Derived forms
pleasable (ˈpleasable)
adjective
pleased
adjective
pleasedly (ˈpliːzɪdlɪ)
adverb
pleaser (ˈpleaser)
noun
Word origin
C14 plese, from Old French plaisir, from Latin placēre to please, satisfy
please in American English
(pliz)
verb transitiveWord forms: pleased or ˈpleasing
1.
to be agreeable to; give pleasure to; satisfy
2.
to be the will or wish of
it pleased him to remain
verb intransitive
3.
to be agreeable; give pleasure; satisfy
to aim to please
4.
to have the will or wish; like [to do as one pleases]
also used passively
you are pleased to scoff
▶ USAGE: Please is also used for politeness in requests or commands to mean “be obliging enough (to)”[please sit down]
Idioms:
if you please
please God
please oneself
Derived forms
pleaser (ˈpleaser)
noun
Word origin
ME plaisen < MFr plaisir < L placere, to please, akin to placidus, gentle, mild, placare, to calm, soothe < IE *plāk-, flat, smooth < base *plā- > plain1
Examples of 'please' in a sentence
please
These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content.Read more…
He was pleased to help me out.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Both sides were pleased to get back to matters on the pitch.
The Sun (2016)
It would seem strange not to say please or thank you.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
He also painted a picture of a shady figure who spent his time as he pleased.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
You know he is dangerous so please don't give him another chance.
The Sun (2017)
And as for those ridiculous celebrations after scoring a goal, please stop.
The Sun (2016)
If so, please come forward and talk to us.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
I was pleased to make an impact.
The Sun (2016)
As far Copenhagen, they were rather pleased too.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It evidently rather pleased him to hear that he was going away.
Frances Hodgson Burnett Little Lord Fauntleroy (1886)
Please make a note of the reference number you are given.
The Sun (2014)
Would the beautiful and vapid please stop getting robbed?
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
She must have been wanting to please me by saying that.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The more enlightened males of the time were equally pleased.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
It is pleasing to come away from home and get a clean sheet.
The Sun (2014)
Would you please tell us how we can live in real misery?
Christianity Today (2000)
Please help me solve an exam problem.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Most sites require advance booking and may require advance payment so please make sure to check.
The Sun (2016)
Take it one step at a time and please let me know how you get on.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Please tell your husband to stop being embarrassed and go to the doctor!
The Sun (2013)
Think rather how pleased you might be to find a safe bank deposit account that pays that amount of interest.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
He says please and thank you.
The Sun (2016)
Can they please come here faster?
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Can you pull off to the side please, sir?
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The result is a singular exhibition, which demands attention rather than pleases the eye.
The Times Literary Supplement (2011)
We were really pleased for Chopper to score against his old team.
The Sun (2007)
Well, please will you give him this from me?
The Sun (2013)
Mr. Darcy seemed much pleased with the attention.
Jane Austen Pride and Prejudice (1813)
He said: 'I am pleased with the performance.
The Sun (2012)
He added: 'I am really pleased about that.
The Sun (2012)
Please sir, can I have some more?
The Sun (2014)
In other languages
please
British English: please VERB
If someone or something pleases you, they make you feel happy and satisfied.
More than anything, I want to please you.
He was pleased with the idea.
American English: please
Brazilian Portuguese: agradar
Chinese: 使高兴
European Spanish: complacer
French: faire plaisir à
German: zufriedenstellen
Italian: far piacere a
Japanese: 喜ばせる
Korean: 기쁘게 하다
European Portuguese: agradar
Latin American Spanish: complacer
British English: please! /pliːz/ INTERJECTION
You say please! when you are politely asking or inviting someone to do something.
American English: please!
Arabic: أَرْجُوك
Brazilian Portuguese: por favor!
Chinese: 有请！
Croatian: molim!
Czech: prosím!
Danish: vær så venlig at
Dutch: alstublieft!
European Spanish: ¡por favor!
Finnish: olkaa hyvä!
French: s’il vous plaît !
German: bitte!
Greek: παρακαλώ!
Italian: prego!
Japanese: お願い！
Korean: 제발!
Norwegian: Vær så snill!
Polish: proszę!
European Portuguese: por favor!
Romanian: te rog!
Russian: пожалуйста!
Latin American Spanish: ¡por favor!
Swedish: snälla!
Thai: กรุณา
Turkish: lütfen!
Ukrainian: будь ласка!
Vietnamese: làm ơn!
Translate your text for free
All related terms of 'please'
please God
You say please God to emphasize a strong hope , wish , or desire that you have.
yes please
a polite formula for accepting an offer , invitation , etc
please oneself
You say ' please yourself ' to indicate in a rather rude way that you do not mind or care whether the person you are talking to does a particular thing or not.
as you please
You can use as you please in expressions such as bold as you please or casually as you please or charming as you please in order to emphasize what you are saying .
if you please
If you please is sometimes used as a very polite and formal way of attracting someone's attention or of asking them to do something.
please audiences
The audience at a play, concert , film, or public meeting is the group of people watching or listening to it.
as you please/whatever you please
You use please in expressions such as as she pleases , whatever you please , and anything he pleases to indicate that someone can do or have whatever they want .
please clean my room sign
A please clean my room sign is a sign that a guest in a hotel hangs outside their room to tell the cleaner the room is available for cleaning.
Chinese translation of 'please'
please
(pliːz)
int
(in polite requests, written instructions) 请(請) (qǐng)
(accepting sth) 好的 (hǎo de)
(to attract attention) 劳(勞)驾(駕) (láojià)
vt
(= satisfy) 使高兴(興) (shǐ gāoxìng)
vi
(= give pleasure, satisfaction) 满(滿)意 (mǎnyì)
yes, please好的 (hǎode)
my bill, please请(請)给(給)我账(賬)单(單) (qǐng gěi wǒ zhàngdān)
please don't cry!拜托(託)，别(別)哭了！ (bàituō, bié kū le!)
it pleased them to ... ... 让(讓)他们(們)开(開)心 ( ... ràng tāmen kāixīn)
please yourself! (inf) 请(請)便！ (qǐngbiàn!)
do as you please按你喜欢(歡)的做 (àn nǐ xǐhuan de zuò)
pls
abbr
(= please) 请(請) (qǐng)
All related terms of 'please'
pls
please 请(請) qǐng
yes, please
好的 hǎode
"please forward"
"请(請)转(轉)交" "qǐng zhuǎnjiāo"
please yourself!
( inf ) 请(請)便！ qǐngbiàn!
my bill, please
请(請)给(給)我账(賬)单(單) qǐng gěi wǒ zhàngdān
do as you please
按你喜欢(歡)的做 àn nǐ xǐhuan de zuò
excuse me, please
请(請)原谅(諒) qǐng yuánliàng
one moment, please
( on the telephone ) 请(請)稍等 qǐng shāoděng
please be seated
( frm ) 请(請)坐 qǐng zuò
please don't cry!
拜托(託)，别(別)哭了！ bàituō, bié kū le!
please find enclosed
兹(茲)附上 zī fùshàng
that'll be £5 please
请(請)付5英镑(鎊) qǐngfù wǔ yīngbàng
hold the line please!
( Tel ) 请(請)稍等！ qǐng shāoděng!
to be hard to please
难(難)以取悦(悅) nányǐ qǔyuè
is Shirley there please?
( on telephone ) 请(請)问(問)雪莉在吗(嗎)？ qǐng wèn Xuělì zài ma?
please accept my apologies
( frm ) 请(請)接受我的道歉 qǐng jiēshòu wǒ de dàoqiàn
"please quote this reference"
( Comm ) "请(請)注明此编(編)号(號)" "qǐng zhùmíng cǐ biānhào"
can I borrow a pen please?
我能不能借支笔(筆)？ wǒ néngbunéng jiè zhī bǐ?
fill it or her up, please
( Aut ) 请(請)加满(滿)油 qǐng jiāmǎn yóu
please don't trouble yourself
不麻烦(煩)您了 bù máfan nín le
if you could sign here, please
请(請)在这(這)儿(兒)签(簽)名，好吗(嗎) qǐng zài zhèr qiānmíng, hǎo ma
that will be five pounds, please
请(請)付5镑(鎊) qǐng fù wǔ bàng
could you get me my coat please?
请(請)你把我的外套拿来(來)好吗(嗎)？ Qǐng nǐ bǎ wǒ de wàitào nálái hǎo ma?
his anxiety to please/to do well
( eagerness ) 他急于(於)取悦(悅)他人/好好表现(現)的愿(願)望 tā jí yú qǔyuè tārén/hǎohǎo biǎoxiàn de yuànwàng