please
(adverb, verb)
LISTEN
We use the word please when we ask someone if we can do something, or when we ask if someone can do something for us. Please makes this more polite.
- Can I have a coffee, please?
- Please come with me and I'll show you your room.
To please means ‘to make someone happy.’
- I became a doctor to please my mother.
Please also means ‘to like or want.’
- I'm not a child; I can do what I please.
Common uses
When someone asks us a question and the answer is yes, if we want to be polite, we usually say “Yes, please.” For example: “Would you like some more tea?” “Yes, please.”
Related words
If you are pleased, it means that you are happy about something. For example, “I was pleased to see you.”
In pop culture
The word please is in the Beatles song “Help.” Listen to them say, “Won’t you please, please help me?” It is a polite way to ask for help, and in this case it also adds emphasis.
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