What does R.S.V.P. mean?
R.S.V.P.– just four little letters that you often see on invitations, program announcements and meeting notices. But do you know what they mean? I’ve had youth and adults both ask me– “What does R.S.V.P. mean?”
Repondez, S’il Vous Plait
R.S.V.P. stands for the French phrase, “repondez, si’l vous plait,” which translates as “respond, if you please.” In modern language, the request is to “please reply.” In this short abbreviation, the person sending the invitation is asking that you tell him or her whether you accept or decline the invitation. In other words, will you be coming to the event, or not?
Etiquette rules for R.S.V.P’s
The rules of etiquette require that if you receive a formal written invitation, you should reply promptly in writing within seven days. For those who are planning an event, this is important from a practical point of view because they need to know how many people to count on and how many supplies to purchase. More important, though, is the simple courtesy of responding to someone who was nice enough to invite you, even if it is to say that you will not be able to attend.
Many formal invitations, including most wedding invitations, now include a printed reply card for your response. Send it back promptly, again within a week’s time. (An etiquette side note- it wasn’t that long ago that enclosing a reply card was considered in poor taste. However, nowadays, most people are so remiss in their manners that it has become necessary and quite acceptable to include this built-in reminder to respond.)
Why French?
You might wonder why we use the initials of a French phrase in an invitation written in English. You could say that the French “invented” etiquette, with many of our modern practices originating in the French court of King Louis XIV in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. French customs became the practice of refinement and “high society” through the 19th century in the United States.
A Polite Reminder
According to an article on HowStuffWorks.com, Judith Martin, author of etiquette books and a syndicated newspaper columnist known as “Miss Manners,” thinks that R.S.V.P came about as a polite way of reminding people of something that they should already know– if you receive an invitation, you need to reply.
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