Note Culturelle: 1.2 – Langage formel et informel

Formal and informal language

When meeting someone for the first time, does one use the informal French pronoun tu or the formal vous (equivalent to English “you”)?

In general:

tu

• is used with friends, family, and children.
• is always singular and informal.

vous

• can be used to address one person:
  • is used to express politeness, formality, and social distance. Vous is the form of address used for all formal situations. When in doubt, use vous.
• can be used to address two or more people:
  • we can translate it by “you all“, or “y’all” to differentiate it from the “tu” singular, you.