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French Phrase

Va à droite, s'il te plaît.

/va a dʁwat sil tə plɛ/
Meaning"Go to the right, please."
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Meaning

A polite command telling someone to go or turn to the right. The phrase combines the imperative of ‘aller’ with the courteous ‘s'il te plaît’, making it suitable for everyday navigation.

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When to use

Use this sentence when giving directions on the street, in a shop, or any situation where you need someone to move rightward. It works best with friends, family, or children; switch to the formal version with strangers or in professional contexts.

✦Grammar Breakdown

Vaàdroite,s'ilteplaît.

1

Imperative (2nd pers. sing.)

‘Va’ is the imperative form of ‘aller’ used for giving a direct command to ‘tu’.

2

Preposition à

‘à’ introduces the direction or destination after a verb of motion.

3

Direction noun

‘droite’ functions as a noun meaning ‘right’ when used with a preposition.

4

Polite formula

‘s'il te plaît’ literally means ‘if it pleases you’ and softens the command; it is informal.

5

Formal vs. informal

Use ‘Allez à droite, s'il vous plaît’ when speaking to strangers or in a formal setting.

🗨In Conversation

A

Excusez‑moi, comment puis‑je arriver à la gare ?

Excuse me, how can I get to the train station?

Va à droite, s'il te plaît.

Go to the right, please.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Vas à droite, s'il te plaît.

    ‘Vas’ is the present indicative; the correct imperative is ‘Va’.

  • Va à droite, s'il vous plaît.

    Using the formal ‘vous’ with the informal imperative ‘va’ mixes registers.

  • Va droite, s'il te plaît.

    Dropping the preposition changes the meaning; you need ‘à’ to indicate direction.

↔Alternatives

  • Tourne à droite, s'il te plaît.

    Turn right, please.

  • Allez à droite, s'il vous plaît.

    Go to the right, please. (formal)

  • Prenez à droite, s'il vous plaît.

    Take a right, please. (formal)

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Cultural Tip

In French, the level of politeness is conveyed by the pronoun in ‘s'il te plaît’ (informal) versus ‘s'il vous plaît’ (formal). Mixing the informal imperative ‘va’ with the formal ‘s'il vous plaît’ sounds odd, so keep the register consistent. Also, French speakers often prefer ‘tourne à droite’ when giving a quick turn‑by‑turn direction.