When should I say "please"?
PLEEZ /pliːz/
Neutral Polite
What it really means
Almost every time you ask for anything — in shops, cafés, buses, emails, even with close friends. "A coffee, please", "Could you help me, please?" Leaving out "please" and "thank you" makes a request sound like an order, and British people notice it immediately. When in doubt, add it.
Chinese explanation
几乎每次开口请求都要说——在商店、咖啡馆、公交上、邮件里，甚至对好朋友。"A coffee, please"、"Could you help me, please?"。不说please和thank you，请求听起来就像命令，英国人会立刻察觉。拿不准时，加上就对了。
Example conversation
A: When should I say "please"? I feel like I'm saying it constantly.
B: Basically every time you ask for something. Here, saying it too much is impossible.
A：什么时候该说"please"？我感觉自己一直在说。
B：基本上每次开口要东西都得说。在这里，说得再多也不算多。
What you could say back
No spoken reply needed for this one.
Related phrases
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Reviewed by the UK Decoded editorial team
· Last checked 24 July 2026 · Report a mistake