Elle est jeune. Mais elle est inconnue de vous. « Tu » ou « vous » ?
She’s young. But you don’t know her. «Tu» or «vous»?
Sommaire
« tu » ou « vous » – le bon usage
learning to use « tu » and « vous » correctly
When you want to address someone in English, it’s easy. You always use the word ‘you’.
In French you can address someone as tu or vous. It’s a question of social practice.
Vous is generally a mark of respect :
Monsieur, je vous demande pardon, vous avez l’heure s’il vous plaît ?
Excuse me, sir, do you have the time please?
Tu is generally a sign of informality :
Tu veux un café ma chérie ?
Do you want a coffee my darling?
But should you be respectful or informal with work colleagues ? Strangers ? Your mother-in-law ? The distinction is often subtle. Getting it straight from the start is a good way of building confidence.
First though, let’s look at the grammatical distinctions.
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