They are the initials for a French phrase that means "Please respond." It means that you are being requested to let the person hosting an event whether or not you will be coming.
RSVP means that they want you to repond to an invitation, not just if you are coming, but also to let them know if you are not.
Thanks Nona! Is there not a similar term in English to convey the same meaning?
We use "RSVP" quite often. In very formal situations, we may say something like "The favor of a reply is requested." But that would look ridiculous on a child's birthday party invite, for example. We also use RSVP as a noun (however improper this may be) by saying things like "I've only gotten three RSVP's so far" or "Jen, I didn't get your RSVP." Although RSPV can be used on invitations in business settings, using it like a noun is extremely INformal and would only be done in conversation, not in writing. In writing, you would say "your response."
If you only want to know if the person will NOT be attending, you say "Regrets only." (That means the host will assume you ARE coming unless you call to say that you are NOT coming.)
RSVP means that they want you to repond to an invitation, not just if you are coming, but also to let them know if you are not.
If you only want to know if the person will NOT be attending, you say "Regrets only." (That means the host will assume you ARE coming unless you call to say that you are NOT coming.)
I reached your query when i was searching for the same thing and coincidently, i had made the same mistake of mis- spelling it RSPV.
The actual abbreviation found on an invitation is,RSVP. and comes from the French expression "répondez s'il vous plaît", meaning "please respond".
Bye,
Ciji