“Tu” is only used to address one person, while “vous” is used to address one or more people. As a singular second person pronoun, “vous” is used in more formal contexts while “tu” is more familiar.
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Does vous mean they?
The words tu and vous both mean you. In English, the word you can be used to address any person or number of people, whatever the age, social status etc of that person.A common misconception is that “tu is used for talking to children and vous for talking to adults” or “tu is for friends and vous is for strangers”.
Is it rude to use tu in French?
Long answer: If you respect the person, then vous is appropriate. If the person is a stranger, then use vous. Otherwise, it is perfectly fine to use tu. In addition, using tu is not an insult; vous is just more formal and slightly more polite.
Do you use tu or vous with parents?
Tu is the informal pronoun, so you use it when talking to people you know and like, such as family – use tu with siblings, cousins, parents, aunts, and uncles, etc. In some upper-class families, kids have to address their parents as vous.
Do the French still use vous?
We asked French people from a wide range of ages and experiences and although most of them agreed that the use of vous is decreasing over time, they tended to apply very different rules to their own use of tu and vous.
Can you replace tu with vous?
In case of doubt, it’s always better to use “vous” than “tu”. However, there are some rare cases where the use of “vous” instead of “tu” can offend a person. Now you probably wonder how being more polite can offend someone. The reality is that “vous” doesn’t only show respect, it shows distance.
Do you use tu or vous with grandparents?
She and her mother use “vous” to address their grandparents, but she uses “tu” with her mother. So it’s clearly not just a matter of class but also generation. It’s becoming less and less common, it’s only used by some of the aristocracy, and mostly with the older generations.
What is LL in French?
uill. la cuillère. spoon. Double l is also pronounced [ j ] in most words with consonant + ill, including. la Bastille.
Is vous plural in French?
The French subject pronouns are: je (j’), tu, il, elle, on in the singular, and nous, vous, ils, elles in the plural. To say you in French, use tu if you are talking to one person you know well or to a young person. Use vous if you are talking to one person you do not know so well or to more than one person.
When can you use tu in French?
“Tu” is only used to address one person, while “vous” is used to address one or more people. As a singular second person pronoun, “vous” is used in more formal contexts while “tu” is more familiar.
How do you respond to Ca va?
Va donc, eh, patate ! Ça va means literally “It goes.” We use it as both a question and an answer: Ça va? (how’s it going?) Ça va bien means “it goes well” and it can be used in the same way more or less, as a meaningless polite question and reply.
Is tu formal or informal?
There are two ways of saying “you” in Spanish: usted and tú. Many Spanish teachers will tell you that usted is used in formal situations, while tú is informal.
When should I switch to tu?
Use “tu” for people that you can be very familiar/informal with: Children, teenagers up to maybe 16–18. If you are in your twenties and meet other people your age especially students, ”tu” will usually be ok.
Do you use vous when talking to a teacher?
French grammar dictates that “vous” be used in two basic situations. In one situation, you are still speaking to only one person, but that person is your social superior. It could be your boss at work, a teacher or professor, or a friend’s older relative.
Which pronoun would you use when speaking to a classmate Tu vous?
The informal, singular subject pronoun tu (listen) indicates an intimate, amicable, and/or equal relationship between two people, and as such it is used with family, friends, lovers, colleagues, and classmates.
Do you speak French in French formal?
The formal way would be “parlez-vous francais?” The informal way would be “parles-tu francais?” In most countries where French is spoken, you would use the formal unless the person you’re addressing is a child.
Is Ca va formal or informal?
When to ask
“Comment ça va?” (“How’s it going?”) is basically an informal version of “Comment allez-vous?” and you should expect a similar response. As this greeting is an informal way of asking “how are you?” you should use it with friends.
When you talk to your mom do you use tu?
Within family, we use “tu”. Nowadays, always tu, but with older people, some grew up calling their parents vous and prefer to be addressed as such by their children/grand-children. For example, I use vous with my grand mother, but with anyone else in my family, tu.
Is Vous used for parents?
‘Tu’ is used by parents towards their children’s friends, but when parents meet parents it is always ‘vous’ unless they have become friends.
What Vous means?
: if you please : please. See the full definition.
What does Tu es mean in France?
Translation of “Tu es” in English. Adverb Other. you’re. you’ve.