#228 Going Through Airport Security｜French Travel Phrases

When going through airport security, it is important that you listen carefully to the officer’s instructions and respond calmly on the spot.

Especially at unfamiliar airports abroad, your ability to correctly understand even short instructions can greatly affect how smoothly the procedure goes.

In this section, I will explain practical French expressions you can use during security checks, based on a realistic conversation example, along with key grammatical points.

Dialogue

B

Veuillez placer vos objets métalliques dans le bac, s’il vous plaît.
（Please place your metal objects in the tray.）

A

D’accord. Est-ce que je dois enlever ma ceinture aussi ?
（All right. Should I remove my belt as well?）

B

Oui, merci. Et veuillez sortir votre ordinateur portable de votre sac.
（Yes, please. And please take your laptop out of your bag.）

A

Je le mets ici ?
（Should I put it here?）

B

Oui, c’est parfait. Vous pouvez avancer une fois que vous l’avez posé.
（Yes, that’s perfect. You may proceed once you have placed it.）

1. Understanding the Officer’s Instructions

At airport security, the first thing you need to do is correctly understand the officer’s instructions.

The structure “veuillez + infinitive” is a polite way to give instructions, meaning “please …” or “kindly …”.

The word “veuillez” comes from the verb “vouloir” (to want) and is used here in the imperative form (vous form). While “vouloir” originally means “to want,” in this form it functions as a courteous way to prompt someone to take action.

The verb “placer” means “to place” or “to position something in a designated location,” and is often used in formal instructions.

In contrast, “mettre” is used to describe your own action of putting or placing something.

2. Asking Questions About What You Should Do

During security checks, you may wonder whether you should remove items such as your belt, shoes, or watch.

In such cases, I recommend using questions with “devoir” (must / need to).

The structure “devoir + infinitive” expresses necessity, obligation, or rules.

The verb “devoir” is typically used not for personal intention, but for actions required by rules or circumstances. This makes it especially useful in environments like airports, where procedures must be followed.

The adverb “aussi” means “also” or “as well,” and is used here to confirm whether the same rule applies to another item.

3. Asking Where to Place Your Belongings

If you are unsure where to place your belongings or what to do next, it is best to confirm on the spot.

The verb “mettre” is highly versatile and is used when you move or place an object, such as putting items in a tray or back into a bag.

In this sentence, “le” is a direct object pronoun meaning “it.”

Instead of repeating the noun (“ordinateur portable,” for example), you can replace it with “le,” making the sentence more natural and concise.

When using object pronouns such as “le / la / les,” they are placed before the verb.

However, note that in the imperative form, the word order changes:

In this case, the pronoun comes after the verb and is connected with a hyphen.

Summary