French Phrase
Préviens‑nous à l’avance, s’il te plaît.
Meaning
A polite request asking someone to let us know ahead of time. It combines the imperative ‘préviens‑nous’ (inform us) with the adverbial phrase ‘à l’avance’ (in advance) and the courteous ‘s’il te plaît’ (please).
When to use
Use this sentence when you need a heads‑up before an event, a meeting, a delivery, or any situation where early notice is helpful – for example, asking a colleague to confirm attendance, a friend to call before arriving, or a service provider to give a reminder.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Préviens-nousàl'avance,s'ilteplaît
Imperative (2nd person singular)
‘Préviens’ is the affirmative imperative of the verb *prévenir* (to inform/ warn) used with ‘tu’. The final –s is kept because a direct object pronoun follows.
Object pronoun placement
In affirmative imperatives, object pronouns are attached to the verb with a hyphen: *préviens‑nous* (inform us).
Prepositional phrase ‘à l’avance’
‘à l’avance’ means ‘in advance’ or ‘ahead of time’; it follows the verb‑pronoun construction.
Polite formula ‘s’il te plaît’
Literally ‘if it pleases you’, this is the informal way to say ‘please’. Use the formal *s’il vous plaît* with strangers or in professional settings.
🗨In Conversation
Tu peux me dire si tu seras disponible pour le dîner ?
Can you tell me if you'll be available for dinner?
Oui, je te préviendrai à l’avance, s’il te plaît.
Yes, I'll let you know in advance, please.
✕Common Mistakes
Préviens nous à l'avance, s'il te plaît.
Missing hyphen; in affirmative imperatives the pronoun must be attached with a hyphen.
Prévenez‑nous à l'avance, s'il te plaît.
Mixes formal verb form *prévenez* with informal *s’il te plaît*; keep the register consistent.
Préviens‑nous à l'avance s’il te plaît.
The comma is optional but helps readability; without it the phrase can feel rushed.
↔Alternatives
Informe‑nous à l’avance, s’il te plaît.
Inform us in advance, please.
Donne‑nous un préavis, s’il te plaît.
Give us a notice, please.
Fais‑le nous savoir à l’avance, s’il te plaît.
Make us know it in advance, please.
Cultural Tip
In French, the level of formality is crucial. *Préviens‑nous* with *s’il te plaît* is informal and suitable for friends, family, or close colleagues. In a professional or unfamiliar context, switch to the formal forms: *Prévenez‑nous à l’avance, s’il vous plaît.* Also, remember to keep the hyphen when attaching pronouns to the imperative; omitting it is a common error that makes the phrase look ungrammatical.