Tu or vous?
Aller à la navigation
Aller à la recherche
French has two words for "you": tu (informal) and vous (formal), depending on the relationship.
| Use « tu » with… | Use « vous » with… |
|---|---|
| family, friends | strangers |
| children | superiors, customers |
| close colleagues (depending on the company) | older people |
| animals | in shops and public offices |
Vous is also the plural "you", for speaking to several people.
When in doubt
[modifier | modifier le wikicode]Say vous and wait for the other person to suggest switching: On peut se tutoyer ? (Shall we say tu?)
Variations
[modifier | modifier le wikicode]Usage varies by country and setting: in Quebec, tu is more common; in some companies, everyone says tu from day one.
🇫🇷 Research and writing: My French
This guide was researched and written by the team at my-french.com, a platform for learning French as a foreign language and the owner of learnfrench.wiki. Put theory into practice: lessons from A1 to C2, quizzes, games, a verb conjugator and a community of learners at my-french.com.