Please

You can place please at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence. Put it at the start for a very polite tone: Please, take a seat. Use it at the end for a standard, friendly request: Can I have a coffee, please? In the middle, it often adds emphasis to a verb: Could you please help me? It is incredibly flexible. You can even use it as a one-word answer to accept an offer. If someone asks, "Would you like some cake?" just say Please! with a smile.

Use it every single time you want something from someone else. Use it at a restaurant when ordering food. Use it at work when asking a colleague for a file. Use it at home with your family to stay on their good side. Even if you are paying for a service, please is expected. It is common in text messages, emails, and face-to-face talks. Basically, if you are not sure, just say please!

Do not use it when you are giving a direct, urgent command in an emergency. If a building is on fire, don't say, "Please, run!" Just yell "Run!" Also, avoid overusing it in a single sentence. Saying Please, could you please help me please? makes you sound desperate or sarcastic. Finally, don't use it when you are genuinely angry and trying to be firm. In those rare moments, the politeness of please might actually sound like cold passive-aggression.

English-speaking cultures, especially in the UK and North America, are obsessed with politeness. The word comes from the phrase "if it please you." It implies that the other person has the choice to say no. This gives them power and shows you aren't a bully. In some cultures, being direct is seen as honest. In English, being too direct is often seen as rude. Children are taught from age two to use their "magic word."

You might hear Pretty please when someone is being extra persuasive or cute. Yes, please is the standard way to accept an offer. In very formal settings, people might use If you please at the end of a sentence. Sometimes, people use Please? with a rising intonation to beg for something. In casual texts, you might see it shortened to pls or plz. No matter the version, the goal is always the same: be kind!