{"id":10,"date":"2026-09-29T08:57:45","date_gmt":"2026-09-29T08:57:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fluenchy.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/29\/tu-or-vous-a-simple-rule\/"},"modified":"2026-09-29T08:57:45","modified_gmt":"2026-09-29T08:57:45","slug":"tu-or-vous-a-simple-rule","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fluenchy.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/29\/tu-or-vous-a-simple-rule\/","title":{"rendered":"Tu or vous? A simple rule so you never offend anyone"},"content":{"rendered":"

English has one \u201cyou\u201d. French has two: tu<\/strong> and vous<\/strong>. Choosing the wrong one won\u2019t start a diplomatic incident, but it can sound rude, or oddly cold. Here is the simple rule, then the details.<\/p>\n

The simple rule<\/h2>\n
\n

When in doubt, use vous<\/strong>. Switch to tu<\/strong> when the other person invites you to.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Using vous<\/em> too long is, at worst, a bit formal. Using tu<\/em> too soon can feel overly familiar. So vous<\/em> is always the safer bet.<\/p>\n

Who gets \u201cvous\u201d<\/h2>\n
    \n
  • Any adult you don\u2019t know: shop staff, waiters, people in the street<\/li>\n
  • Older people, especially the parents of your friends (at first)<\/li>\n
  • Your boss, clients, administration, doctors<\/li>\n
  • Several people at once, whoever they are: vous<\/em> is also the plural \u201cyou\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Who gets \u201ctu\u201d<\/h2>\n
      \n
    • Friends and family<\/li>\n
    • Children and animals<\/li>\n
    • People your age in relaxed settings: students, a party, a sports club<\/li>\n
    • Anyone who has said \u00ab On peut se tutoyer \u00bb<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      The magic sentence<\/h2>\n

      The switch from vous<\/em> to tu<\/em> is a small social moment. Usually the older or more senior person suggests it:<\/p>\n

      \n

      On peut se tutoyer ? \u2014 Shall we use \u201ctu\u201d?
      Tu peux me tutoyer, tu sais. \u2014 You can call me \u201ctu\u201d, you know.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

      The verbs are handy too: tutoyer<\/em> (to use tu) and vouvoyer<\/em> (to use vous).<\/p>\n

      Be consistent<\/h2>\n

      Once you\u2019ve chosen, everything in the sentence must follow. Mixing the two is the most common mistake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
      Tu<\/th>\nVous<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
      Salut ! Tu vas bien ?<\/td>\nBonjour ! Vous allez bien ?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Tu es d\u2019o\u00f9 ?<\/td>\nVous \u00eates d\u2019o\u00f9 ?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      C\u2019est ton sac ?<\/td>\nC\u2019est votre sac ?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Je te remercie.<\/td>\nJe vous remercie.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

      And at work?<\/h2>\n

      It depends on the company. In a start-up, everyone will probably say tu<\/em> from day one, boss included. In a bank or a law firm, vous<\/em> can last for years. Listen to how colleagues talk to each other and follow their lead.<\/p>\n

      And if you\u2019re really stuck, remember our favourite trick: \u00ab \u00c7a va ? \u00bb<\/em> has no \u201cyou\u201d in it at all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Start with vous, wait to be invited, and the other unwritten rules of French politeness.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"atk_mot":"tu ou vous ?","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-grammar"],"yoast_head":"\nTu or vous? A simple rule so you never offend anyone - Fluenchy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/fluenchy.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/29\/tu-or-vous-a-simple-rule\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Tu or vous? 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