Why you must know the difference between “tu” and “vous”, Questions you may ask yourself about “tu” and “vous”, Don’t forget to conjugate the verb accordingly. This lesson will make sure you don’t offend anyone by being too familiar, and help you to avoid any embarrassing cultural misunderstandings! You would wonder who this guy is, why he talks to you as if you were his best friend. Closures: formal. In formal French, it is possible and usual to form a question by inverting the order of the subject and the verb. Nobody will ever blame you for being too formal. - Level 1, Rocket French With an average rating of 4.6 stars you know Rocket French works! Applying for a job is always strictly formal and interacting with people socially on vacation at a hotel for example, or sight seeing, would always be expected to be more rather than less, formal. ; There are set places to put addresses and the date. When you use “vous”, the following verb always uses the plural form. Salut Jeanne, ça va ? Not sure when to use the formal "You" Vous in French or the informal "You" Tu? Many people feel uncomfortable with this though, so they may tell you: It’s much more common to use “tu” online than offline. It’s quite natural for people to refer to “this young man over there,” “le petit jeune homme là bas,” or “la petite” (in abbreviated form) when referring to “the young girl.” There are some subtle distinctions, for example, “Monsieur” across the board, refers to “Sir,” or to a “gentleman,” whereas “l’homme,” means “the man.” It’s probably safer to address any adult woman as “madame” as opposed to “mademoiselle” “miss” regardless of their actual status. Have you met Jeanne? – “How’s it going?” This is slightly less formal than comment allez-vous, but it’s … However, it also uses the inversion way of asking questions which is considered formal. Sometimes, you start talking to someone using “vous”, and finish the conversation with “tu”. If you call someone tu , you'll use other expressions that are considered informal also. formal - WordReference English dictionary, questions, discussion and forums. That said, the best way to know whether you should use “tu” or “vous” is to observe and see what people use. After teaching French and English in South Korea for 7 months as part of a French government program, he created French Together™ to help English speakers learn the 20% of French that truly matters. You may sound overly polite, but you won’t have to worry about being rude. Inversion. You don’t know him very well. For this reason, knowing when to use “tu” and when to use “vous” is critical. I miss you in French : tu me manques. In a more formal setting, it’s polite to indicate that you’re delighted … Change it to "Comment vas-tu?" If you've decided to give French a try and you're eager to start (or continue) learning the language of liberté, egalité, and fraternité (the French national motto}, here are a few hacks to learn French fast and and optimize your efforts. Problems? How you sign off an email in French depends on how well you know the person to whom you're writing, the purpose of the letter, and the degree of formality. Je suis folle de toi = I am crazy about you, if a woman is speaking / Je suis fou de toi = I am crazy … - Level 3, USA: 3501 Jack Northrop Ave, Suite #P1171, Hawthorne, CA 90250, USA | Phone: 310-601-4958, Asia/Pacific: 12-987 Ferry Road, Woolston, Christchurch 8023, New Zealand | Phone: +64-3-384-6350, Rocket French A – You in French = Vous – Formal. Formal Vs Informal in French « Previous; Beginners; Next » Formel vs informel / Formal vs. If you’re planning on traveling in a French-speaking country, you might think learning casual French is enough… well think again. “Comment vas-tu” is the “informal” version of “comment allez-vous” as indicated by the use of “tu”, the informal French “you”. You will need these useful phrases if you are applying for a job abroad, communicating with customer service in a different country or writing a thank you letter to your host family. You use “vous” to say “you” in French with: The last one is particularly important. In English we use only YOU, which is very convenient, but not for the French translators. In this lesson you will learn how to say “How are you?” in French. In this French lesson, you'll learn the basic French pronouns. Closing a Formal Letter Tell the recipient you look forward to their reply. The sense of respect prevails today in many cultures around the globe, albeit adapted to modern day norms. The exceptions to using the formal “vous” would be when talking to your family, your friends or when addressing very young children. In French today there is still a clear language code where both formal and informal greetings are relevant. Yes! Ça fait longtemps qu'on ne s'est pas vu ! The French language is really big into formal versus informal French. An easy way to remember that is to think about the famous song Voulez vous coucher avec moi ce soir. Here is how to make sure you don’t use the wrong form. Both sentences have the same meaning. (a standard expression when meeting someone for the first time) … While similar to the formal, polite form of the question, this phrase … Nobody will ever blame you for being too formal. You may need to introduce a friend to another friend, in which case it is useful to follow the expected pattern. To some this appears to create distance, while to others it maintains a sense of respect. The only differences is that the first one is informal, while the second one is formal or plural. Of course, in English the word “you” can be either formal or informal, but in French, as you will see ahead, we use tu for informal situations, such as hanging out with friends, and vous for everything else. The end result is a “how are you” stuck between formal and informal French. The following examples show casual greetings using varying degrees of familiarity, from casual through to very laid back. Tu me manques depuis que tu es partie ! Everything you need to learn French from home. Now you probably wonder how being more polite can offend someone. A possible equivalent in English would be English that you would speak to a person you respect a lot, like a grandparent, or a person in a position of power, like the president. Get started with free lessons, exclusive discounts, and more. By the 13th century, thou became the informal “you” and ye became the formal “you,” making it similar to the French vous / tu distinction. If you don’t know whether you should use “vous” or “tu”, use “vous”. Use ‘tu’ only when you speak to someone you know very well, otherwise keep the conversation formal. – Nice to meet you! Bonjour, Marie. This is a friendly expression that can be used to catch up with people you haven’t seen in awhile. The distinction between “vous” and “tu” indicates your relationship to the person you are talking to. Comment ça va ? It's great to see you again, is everything going well with you? Take a look at the simple explanations I’ve put together, and then listen to some examples of French conversations so you can practice using this basic French grammar in real life situations. Now that we have studied the formal ways of saying "how are you" in French, let's look at the informal ways.Granted, ça va is not the most formal French. Here is more information on how to ask questions in French. In today’s fast paced lifestyles, there is a tendency to be less formal, yet compared to the English language, French customs still make an … So... that should cover your bases and keep you out of trouble for a while, however informal you'd like to be! Learning a language is a complex process that is different for each individual based on several different factors. With French, though, people tend to use casual structures even in professional settings — generally anywhere you’d use a tu with someone rather than a vous. If you talk to several persons, you always use “vous”, because “vous” is also the plural “you”. So, the English-to-French translator must choose the RIGHT moment to switch from VOUS to TU. How to Close Your French Letter. But it's so practical that it's been used a lot in French lately, and has really made its way in almost all situations: among friends and family, of course, but also at the office or with acquaintances. Not sure whether you should use “tu” or “vous”? Oui ! Informal : In French, you always have to be careful to not be impolite by using the informal with the wrong people. The same is true between friends. As you will find out in your conversations with French people, so much of the dialogue depends on how other people interact with you! Good morning Marie, how are you? Enchanté(e)! Thousands of people have had great success with mastering a new language with Rocket Languages. Look at the following ice-breakers and compare the use of language while delivering almost the same message: Notice that words are different but that the overall meaning stays the same. Non, on ne se connaît pas. In case of doubt, it’s always better to use “vous” than “tu”. All Free. This formal code is useful when you are asking for anything in the commercial arena in France, from shops, health care, touring, making bookings, and as you meet new people. In French, the usage of vous (formal or plural you, pronunciation: voo) and tu (informal/singular you, pronunciation: too) is exactly the same. You will also find him giving blogging advice on Grow With Less. You will notice that in a typical dialogue in French, a person is always addressed by their appropriate title, even if you don’t know their actual name, as in “Sir,” “Monsieur,” “Madam,” ”Madame,” and more traditionally, addressing adolescents as “jeune homme,” ”young man,” or “jeune fille,” ”young lady.”. The vous (the subject pronoun) can be a single formal you (as in when you are talking to a person much older than you are), a plural formal (where you would use vous to address two or more people), or informal (where you use tu to address two or more people). You never use “tu” when talking to a group. Introducing yourself and introducing other people to each other is a good place to start establishing your ease with dialogues. PARIS (Reuters) - Four French police officers held in custody over the beating of a Black music producer have been placed under formal investigation, … But this is also true when you are talking to only one person. Enchanté(e) is definitely the most common way to say “nice to meet you” in French and probably the one that you will use the most. French formal letters have … The same happens in French. (Level 1), Rocket French It’s not too formal nor is it too informal which makes it a great expression for beginners to learn. In contrast, when addressing family or very young children, it’s not necessary to be so formal. Many languages have an informal register. And there’s nothing quite like having the command of formal French necessary to make those long and flowing French sentences we love so much. It’s a good idea to be comfortable using both socially. That’s what you are going to discover now. Once you’re done, you’ll get a score out of 100 on your pronunciation and can listen to your own audio playback. Possible response : toi aussi, tu me manques. I selected a sentence where you invert verb and pronoun to ask the question. A formal letter has a number of conventions about layout, language and tone that you should follow. This happens when an adult talks to a kid for example. Linguim » Learn French » Beginners » Formal Vs Informal in French. A more usual way of forming a question in formal French is to use inversion. ‘Vous’ is used formally, while ‘tu’ is used informally. Enchanté(e) – Nice to meet you. But French gets very casual very quickly. There are distinctions about who to call “vous” and who to call “tu” for example. A common favourite for closing a semi-formal business e-mail is cordialement. If you’re on a video game forum, using “tu” will generally be okay. It’s also the “you” a child uses with an adult (usually outside of close family). - A in French. Merci is the standard way of expressing gratitude in French. Typically, this is the “you” used among professional adults, or with someone (much) older than you. The separation … Benjamin Houy is a native French speaker and tea drinker with a BA degree in Applied Foreign Languages and a passion for languages. "D'où venez-vous?" The most obvious way of saying "I miss you" in French is "tu me manques". (Level 2), Rocket French The Formal and Informal You in French. Tip: Your free trial account details will be sent to your inbox. Think about the people you are the closest to. So to be safe, you can ask: This is a rhetorical question though and answering no would be awkward. If you are commenting an article from Le Monde, “vous” would be much more appropriate. Sometimes you won’t know whether you should use “vous” or “tu”. The word itself has a long history: in the Roman times, merci meant “wages” and later on the word evolved to mean “a favor” or “a mercy”. It's like saying "you're lacking to me". tu’ and ‘vous’ Both of these words mean the same thing: you. There is a strict formal and informal code of conduct that is to be followed when speaking French. There is a right and a wrong way to say “you” in French. Marie-Claire Rivière and the Rocket French Team. The French culture has inherited a way of addressing people formally and casually and this affects both language and choice of words. Picture this: you are talking to your elderly neighbor Monsieur Dupont. You can use it in all types of situations whether formal or informal, regardless of what it is you’re thanking someone for. - Level 2, Rocket French In the French language, pronouns like "I" and "she" are already familiar around the world, but others like "us" or "them" are unknown. Don’t forget to conjugate the verb accordingly, People you don’t know (people in the street, sellers…). Just listen to the native speaker audio and then use the microphone icon to record yourself. This also happens when you start a conversation with “vous” because you aren’t sure whether you can use “tu” or not, and then realize using “tu” would be perfectly fine with this person, either because the person invited you to use “tu” or because it just feels right. Ça fait plaisir de te voir, tout va bien de ton côté ? Note: to make it easier for you to understand what happens when you switch to “vous”. Vous is the formal “you” in French. However, there are some rare cases where the use of “vous” instead of “tu” can offend a person. I hope you find these free French grammar lessons helpful. How would you react if a stranger came up to you, and said: “hey dude, what’s up”? Learn all of the following words in French" Je = I Tu = you (use this for people you know, your own age or younger) Vous is also the plural “you” in French, be it formal or informal. Earlier, I told you that “vous” is also used when you are talking to a group. No, we haven't met. Use the right form and people will be happy to talk to you and amazed by your knowledge of the language ; use the wrong form and the only thing they will remember is how rude you are. In this situation, the use of “vous” highlights the difference of age. This French language lesson is for you! A typical way to close a french business letter is “dans l’attente … There are distinctions about who to call “vous” and who to call “tu” for example. Bonjour Marie, comment vas-tu ? This means that the verb following “vous” uses the plural form. It’s perfectly acceptable for one person to use “tu” while the other uses “vous”. In English, most verbs require 'do' support: do you work? Merci d’avance / merci par avance – Thanks in advance (the latter is more formal) m-air-see dav-onse / m-air-see par av-onse; Merci à tous – Thank you all m-air-see a (as in “apple”) tooss; Formal vs. informal. You would perhaps be embarrassed, maybe even angry. Imagine a film where two people meet: in French, they have to say VOUS first and TU after a moment which depends on many parameters (you’ve seen that above). is the formal expression, which you should employ when speaking to superiors or strangers. It’s just as important to understand what’s being said to you as it is to know what to say in a new language. Or rather, there are different ways to say it depending on who you are talking to. (Level 3). The highest register of French, that of formal French, is the French that you use with adults that you don’t know very well. Try some more French grammar lessons! Let's take a look at these different factors and how they impact how fast you learn French. The word enchanté(e) kind of looks like the English word “enchanted” as in “enchanted to meet you”. Vous: the formal you “Vous” is the safe “you” in French. In some French families today, parents are still addressed by their children in the formal way! Tu connais Jeanne ? How Are You in French. When you use “vous”, you need to use the verb ending “ez” at the present tense. You might already know that the French have 2 ways to say you: Tu and Vous. When you speak English, you sometimes start talking to someone formally, and then switch to a more informal language as you get to know each other. However, it’s probably good to follow the general guideline that, when in doubt, be formal! But if you're already familiar with the … Good morning Mary, it's been a while since we've seen each other! Need help with how to say you in French? The est-ce que construction can sound a bit long-winded in written French. Rocket Record lets you perfect your French pronunciation. So when a 20 year-old uses “vous” with a 40 year-old, the 40 year-old may feel older as a result. Your parents, your husband/wife, your friends, maybe some of your colleagues. Bonjour Jean, tout se passe bien aujourd'hui ? (Use a headset mic for best results.) When greeting someone formally, a handshake should always accompany the greeting. Hi Jeanne, how's it going? Traditionally, French business correspondence ends with one of various silly long-winded formulae, although particularly in the case of e-mail correspondence, these are starting to go out the window. But this isn’t the most common way to ask a question in an informal situation. Using the wrong form will lead people to think you don’t respect them. Remember that when you already know someone relatively well, there is no need to introduce yourself formally anyway. French learners will be familiar with formal French, where every phrase is meticulously constructed. Note that, contrary to the English version, the French phrase starts with "you" and ends with "I". There are several ways: “Comment allez-vous?” (formal) and “ça va” (informal).To say how are you say “Comment allez-vous?” If you do not know the person or if they are older than yourself. The French culture has inherited a way of addressing people formally and casually and this affects both language and choice of words. The reality is that “vous” doesn’t only show respect, it shows distance. Rocket French Click here! If you don’t know whether you should use “vous” or “tu”, use “vous”. Then use “vous” until you are invited to use “tu”. If one friend uses “vous” and the other “tu”, this may create distance and make the friend who uses “tu” feel uncomfortable. In today’s fast paced lifestyles, there is a tendency to be less formal, yet compared to the English language, French customs still make an imprint on social interactions. Reinforce your learning from this lesson with the Rocket Reinforcement activities!