When Do You Use Tu or Vous in French?
Use tu with one person you know well: friends, family, children and, usually, people your own age in relaxed settings. Use vous with someone you do not know, someone older or senior to you, and anyone you are speaking to in a formal or professional setting. Vous is also always the word for more than one person, whoever they are. If you are not sure, start with vous. It is the safe choice, and the other person can invite you to switch.
What is the difference between tu and vous?
Both mean "you". Tu is singular and informal. Vous does two jobs: it is the polite form for one person, and it is the normal form for two or more people, formal or not.
- Tu es prêt ? Are you ready? (to a friend)
- Vous êtes prêt ? Are you ready? (to one person, politely)
- Vous êtes prêts ? Are you ready? (to a group of friends)
French even has verbs for the choice. Tutoyer means to say tu to someone, and vouvoyer means to say vous. The habits themselves are called le tutoiement and le vouvoiement.
When should you use vous?
Vous shows respect and a little distance. It is the default with:
- People you are meeting for the first time, especially adults
- Shop staff, waiters, receptionists and people working in public services
- Older people you do not know well
- Teachers, doctors, managers and clients, unless they suggest tu
- Emails and letters to people you do not know
A simple exchange in a shop sounds like this: Bonjour madame, vous avez du pain ? Hello, do you have any bread? Saying tu here would sound too familiar, and in some situations rude.
When is tu normal?
Tu is for closeness and equality. You will hear it between:
- Friends and family members
- Couples
- Adults talking to children, and children talking to each other
- Young people of a similar age, often from the very first meeting
- People talking to their pets
Tu is also common online, in many social media and gaming spaces, and in some workplaces. Workplaces vary a lot. In one office, everyone says tu from the first day. In another, colleagues use vous for years. Watch what the people around you do.
Salut, tu viens ce soir ? Hi, are you coming tonight?
How do you say "you" in French informally?
The informal "you" is tu as the subject, but it changes shape depending on its role in the sentence.
- tu as the subject: Tu parles français. You speak French.
- te (t' before a vowel) as an object: Je te vois. I see you. Je t'aime. I love you.
- toi after a preposition or for emphasis: C'est pour toi. It is for you. Et toi ? And you?
The possessives change too. Informal "your" is ton, ta or tes (ton frère, ta maison, tes amis). With vous, it is votre for one thing and vos for several (votre frère, vos amis). Vous stays the same as subject, object and after a preposition: Je vous vois, c'est pour vous.
Does tu or vous change the verb?
Yes. Each one takes its own verb ending, so choosing the pronoun also means choosing the form.
| English | With tu | With vous |
|---|---|---|
| You are | tu es | vous êtes |
| You have | tu as | vous avez |
| You speak | tu parles | vous parlez |
| You want | tu veux | vous voulez |
| You go | tu vas | vous allez |
| Come (an instruction) | viens | venez |
Most vous forms end in -ez, with a few exceptions such as vous êtes, vous faites and vous dites. A good habit is to learn common verbs with both forms side by side, so you are not stuck halfway through a sentence.
Everyday phrases often come in two versions as well:
- Comment tu t'appelles ? and Comment vous appelez-vous ? What is your name?
- Ça va ? and Comment allez-vous ? How are you?
- Merci, à toi aussi. and Merci, à vous aussi. Thanks, you too.
Who decides when to switch from vous to tu?
Usually the older person, the more senior person, or the person who is "at home" in the situation suggests it. A manager might say it to a new colleague. A host might say it to a guest. If you are the younger or newer person, it is generally better to wait to be asked.
These are the phrases you will hear:
- On peut se tutoyer ? Can we say tu to each other?
- Tu peux me tutoyer. You can say tu to me.
Once you have both agreed to use tu, going back to vous can sound cold, so treat the switch as a one-way step. If someone keeps using vous with you, simply keep using vous with them.
What about Quebec?
In Quebec, tu is used more widely than in France, including in many everyday situations where a French person would choose vous, such as with people you have just met. Vous is still used and still polite, especially in formal settings. In other French-speaking countries habits differ again, so the same advice applies everywhere: listen first, and follow the lead of the people you are talking to.
What happens if you get it wrong?
Very little, in most cases. People know that learners are still finding their way, and using vous too often is rarely taken badly. It just sounds polite. Using tu too early can come across as overly familiar, which is why vous is the safer place to start. If someone wants you to switch, they will usually tell you.
Practise both forms
The quickest way to stop hesitating is to know both versions of the verbs you use most. LanguaCards has verb conjugation practice for French, alongside flashcards with audio and images, topic packs from A1 to C2 and packs you build yourself. Reviews are timed to bring each word back before you forget it. It is free with full access for the first 24 hours, then a set number of cards a day, with no ads. Pro gives you unlimited learning and community packs, and there is a 7-day free trial on the monthly and yearly plans.
For phrases you might use straight after the greetings, see how to say "nice to meet you" in French and how to say "let me introduce you".