répondez

Répondez is the imperative form of the French verb répondre, meaning to answer or to respond. It corresponds to the second-person plural or formal command, used to direct multiple people or a polite addressee to respond.

Etymology and morphology: Répondez is derived from the verb répondre, which itself comes from Latin respondere. The form is built from the stem répond- plus the oncoming imperative ending -ez, which marks vous (you, plural or formal) in French. Other principal forms of the verb include réponds (tu) and répondons (nous).

Usage: In everyday French, répondez appears mainly in instructional or formal contexts where a reply is requested. The phrase Répondez s'il vous plaît, abbreviated RSVP in English, is widely used on invitations and event communications. Beyond invitations, répondez can appear in business correspondence, customer-service prompts, forms, and questionnaires when a timely reply is desired. In casual speech, speakers typically use other verbs or constructions, such as « réponds » with the familiar tu form or more neutral phrases like « merci de répondre ».

Examples: Répondez à cette invitation dès que possible. Veuillez répondre à ce courriel. Répondez s'il vous plaît pour confirmer votre présence.

See also: répondre, RSVP, répondeur (answering machine).