French grammar
Tu vs vous: which to use
French has two ways to say you. Choosing wrong is not a disaster, but choosing well sounds polite and natural.
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Updated · by the 4ToSpeak team
French · lesson preview
Step 4Je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît.
I would like a coffee, please.
- Order
- Translate
- Listen
- Speak
Say it out loud. Green landed, yellow was close.
Start freeUse vous
- With someone you have just met, or a stranger.
- In shops, restaurants and hotels: Vous désirez ?
- With older people and anyone in authority, unless they invite tu.
- With a group of people, even friends.
Use tu
- With friends, family and children.
- With people your own age in a relaxed setting, such as students or young colleagues.
- When someone says on peut se tutoyer, or starts using tu with you.
Changing over
It is usually the older or more senior person who offers tu. If a French speaker asks Est-ce qu'on se tutoie ?, they are inviting you to switch. Say yes and use tu from then on.
Examples you can play
| Meaning · why | French |
|---|---|
| How are you? (formal) · vous | Comment allez-vous ? |
| How are you? (informal) · tu | Comment vas-tu ? |
| Can you help me? (formal) · vous | Pouvez-vous m'aider ? |
| Can you help me? (informal) · tu | Tu peux m'aider ? |
| Where are you from? (formal or plural) · vous | Vous êtes d'où ? |
| Shall we use tu? · the invitation to switch | On se tutoie ? |
Mistakes to avoid
- Using tu with a shop assistant, waiter or stranger.
- Switching to tu on your own with an older person.
- Using tu with two friends. For more than one person it is always vous.
More on learning French: start French free.
Is tu rude?
Not exactly, but it can sound too familiar with a stranger or someone senior. It is not a serious offence, and people forgive learners.
What do young people use?
Young French speakers use tu freely with each other, including people they just met in casual settings.
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