November 2, 2026

What does RSVP mean? How to reply, and what hosts are asking for

What RSVP stands for, what it asks of a guest, what "regrets only" and "RSVP by" mean, how to reply with examples, and the Spanish S.R.C. on invitations.

RSVP is the four letters on almost every invitation, and the ones most often ignored. It’s short for the French phrase répondez s’il vous plaît, “please respond.” On an invitation it means one thing: the host needs your answer, yes or no, so they can plan. Here’s what it asks of you, what the variations mean, and how to reply.

What RSVP stands for

Répondez s’il vous plaît means “please reply” or “please respond” in French. English-speaking invitations borrowed the phrase from formal French etiquette, and the initials stuck. You say it as the letters: “R-S-V-P.”

People also use it as a verb (“Did you RSVP?”) and as a noun (“We’ve had twenty RSVPs”). “Please RSVP” says “please” twice, strictly speaking, but it’s so common that nobody minds.

What an RSVP asks of a guest

• Answer either way. RSVP doesn’t mean “reply if you’re coming.” It means reply, yes or no. A “no” is as useful to the host as a “yes.”
• Answer by the date. “RSVP by November 21” means the host is counting heads that day: ordering food, setting tables, booking a room.
• Say who’s coming. If the invitation names you and a partner, or “the Garcia family,” say how many of you will be there. Don’t add people the invitation didn’t include; ask the host first.
• Use the way the invitation asks. A link, a phone number, a reply card, an email address. Replying some other way risks your answer getting lost.
• Tell the host if plans change. If you said yes and can’t make it, let them know as soon as you can.

What the variations mean

“Regrets only” is the one that trips people up. It works for open houses and casual gatherings where the exact count matters less. For a sit-down dinner or a wedding, hosts usually want every answer.

How to reply, with examples

Keep it short and clear: your answer, how many, and anything the host asked for.

Yes:

We’d love to come! Two of us, Sam and Alex. Thanks so much for including us.

No:

So sorry we can’t make it, we’ll be out of town that weekend. Hope it’s a wonderful night!

Not sure yet:

We’re hoping to come but won’t know until Thursday. Can I let you know by then?

Then follow up when you said you would. If the deadline is close and you still don’t know, it’s kinder to say no than to leave the host guessing.

When the invitation asks a question, like a meal choice or allergies, answer it in the same reply, so the host doesn’t have to come back to you.

Replying late

Missed the date? Reply anyway, and soon. A short “So sorry for the late reply, we’d love to come if there’s still room” is fine. The host may have already given your spot away for a dinner with a fixed count, so take a “we’re full” graciously.

RSVP in Spanish: S.R.C.

Spanish invitations often say S.R.C., short for se ruega contestación, “a reply is requested.” It means the same as RSVP. You’ll also see favor de confirmar asistencia (“please confirm your attendance”) or confirma antes del [date]. Some invitations in the US print both: “RSVP / S.R.C.” For more Spanish wording, see the quinceañera invitation wording post.

For hosts: getting the answers you need

If you’re the one sending the invitation:

• Put the date on it. “RSVP by [date]” gets more answers than “RSVP” alone. Two weeks before the party works for most; a month for a wedding.
• Make replying easy. One link or one number, not three ways to answer.
• Ask for what you need in the same reply: how many, meal choices, allergies.
• Follow up once, kindly, a couple of days before the deadline.

The RSVP etiquette for hosts post covers deadlines, nudges, plus-ones and waitlists, and online invitations with RSVP explains how the replies can collect themselves.

How letsparty helps

Each guest gets their own link, so replying is one tap: they say yes or no, how many are coming and anything you asked under Ask each person, and the answer saves on your guest list right away. The invite says “Please reply by” your date, a reminder email goes on its own to anyone who hasn’t answered, Nudge texts the rest from your own phone, and the invite can be in Spanish for the households who read it.