What does RSVP mean?
By The awaiting.rsvp team · Published November 9, 2026 · Updated November 9, 2026
RSVP stands for répondez s'il vous plaît, French for please reply. On an invitation it is a request to tell the host whether you will attend, by the deadline shown. You should answer either way: yes helps the host plan, and a polite no helps them just as much, because every plate is counted.
What is the full form of RSVP?
The full form is répondez s'il vous plaît, a French phrase that translates literally as respond, if you please, and simply means please reply.
It appears at the end of formal invitations across Europe, India and North America. Some cards spell it R.S.V.P. with periods; both spellings mean the same thing.
If an invitation adds a date, such as RSVP by 12 January, that date is the deadline for your answer, not the event date.
Where does RSVP come from?
The abbreviation comes from French court etiquette of the nineteenth century, when French was the language of formal diplomacy and high society across Europe.
Etiquette guides of the era codified it for wedding and ball invitations, and it spread through the English-speaking world and the colonies. It survives today because the underlying need survives: hosts have always needed headcounts.
What counts as an RSVP reply?
A reply states whether you are attending, covers everyone named on your invitation, and reaches the host before the deadline.
Acceptable replies range from a returned reply card to a tap on a link. What matters is that the answer is explicit: coming, not coming, or in some cases maybe, and that plus-ones and dietary needs are included if the invitation asked.
Frequently asked questions
What language is RSVP from?
French. It abbreviates répondez s'il vous plaît, meaning please reply.
Do I RSVP if I cannot attend?
Yes. Replying no is the point of RSVP. Hosts count declines to avoid over-ordering food and leaving empty seats unplanned.
What does RSVP by a date mean?
It means the host needs your answer by that date, usually because caterers or venues require final numbers soon after.
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