tu veux ?
In French, 'do you want?' is translated as tu veux ?
This phrase is used to ask if someone desires a particular thing or wants to do something. You can ask if someone wants a specific object by following the phrase directly with a noun, such as tu veux un café ? (do you want a coffee?). To ask if someone wants to perform an action, follow the phrase directly with an infinitive verb, such as tu veux manger ? (do you want to eat?).
Which one should you use?
'tu veux ?' is used for friends, family or children, whereas 'vous voulez ?' is used for formal situations.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The choice of phrase depends on who you are addressing. Use tu veux ? or Est-ce que tu veux? when speaking informally to one person. Use vous voulez ? when speaking to a stranger, a superior or a group of people. For more formal ways to express the same sentiment, you may use Est-ce que vous voulez? (Do you want?), Désirez-vous? (Do you desire?) or Souhaitez-vous? (Do you wish?). Within informal singular contexts, you may also use Tu désires? (Do you desire?).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Canadian French, the variation Tu veux-tu? is used.
Did you know?
- In historical French literature, using tu to address a superior was often a deliberate sign of extreme contempt or a way to provoke a fight.
- The word tu is a cognate with the German word du and the Russian word ты, all descending from the same ancient Proto-Indo-European root.
- The distinction between tu and vous is so culturally significant that 'tutoyement' is the specific French term for the act of switching to the informal tu.
Examples in context
- Est-ce que vous voulez une tasse de café?Do you want a cup of coffee?
- Désirez-vous quelque chose à manger?Do you want something to eat?
- Souhaitez-vous voir le menu?Do you want to see the menu?
- Est-ce que tu veux venir avec moi?Do you want to come with me?
- Tu désires une glace?Do you want an ice cream?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
