“Please”放错位置,小心遭人翻白眼 !!
很多人都以为"please"和"thank you"是最有礼貌的字眼,只要说了就没问题。其实大错特错了。来看看以下的例子吧:
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Sally临时想调一份资料出来,但还不熟悉公司系统,于是请资深的同事协助,她说了
“Please send me the background file on the new customer. Thank you.”
(请把新客户的背景资料寄给我。谢谢!)
Sally很敏感地察觉资深的同事有些不悦,不是都讲了please跟thank you?敞开沟通之后,才发现,原来礼貌不礼貌和Please这字的「位置」大有关系。
Please虽然是英文里面表达客气的说法,但是放在一个句子的开头,却是一种命令的口气,像是主管在对下属说:「请你五点前将报表寄出!」这里的请,就没有想像中那么客气。 Please 若放在句首,给人一种急迫、甚至含有命令的口气。在英文里想请别人协助做什么事、询问,请记得把please放在最后说。
先比较以下三组句子:
可以再做一次吗?
Could you do that again, please?(最客气)
Could you please do that again? (还算客气)
Please could you do that again?(不客气,有命令的意味)
从这里就可以知道please的客气程度是
Please 命令 (句首) > 一般客气(句中)> 很客气 (句尾)
[职场上] please放后面,避免口气太直接
特别是下属对老板想要要求、询问什么事,请记得把please放在最后面,才是最保险的方式:
我今天可以提早离开吗?
(O) May I leave early today, please?
(X) Please may I leave early today?
[教室里] please可放前面,让指令明确
Please open your book. (=Open your book, please.)请打开书。
Please submit your report before or by Monday. 请在周一前交报告。
[生活中] please放后面,表达接受帮助
Would you like a cup of coffee? Yes, please. 要不要来一杯咖啡。好啊!
May I help you? Yes, please. I’d like to…需要帮忙吗?好啊,我想要……
[生活中] please放后面,表达请求
Could you give me a hand, please? 可以帮我忙吗?
May I use your pen, please?我可以用你的笔吗?
真正要表达客气和礼貌,也不定要用please,用could跟would一样可以表达请求
Could you possibly send me the file?可以寄档案给我吗?
Would you mind sending me the file?
Would you be able to send me the file?
Could I have it within ten minutes please?我可以10分钟内收到档案吗?
*图片来源: rawpixel
*资料来源:世界公民文化中心网站
想要找工作?那就点击这里寻找适合自己的工作吧!
欢迎浏览https://eclassified.my,马来西亚首个中英综合性分类网站
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT