u
The French u is an informal, shorthand spelling of the word 'you' used in texting and online chat.
Did you know?
- The habit of using u is part of a phenomenon called le parler SMS, which once sparked intense national debates across France. Critics feared this digital slang was actively corrupting the French language.
- While English speakers use u for 'you', French speakers use u as shorthand for tu, the informal version of 'you'. Using this shorthand with a stranger or a boss would be doubly informal, as it skips both the formal pronoun vous and the full spelling of tu.
- In digital shorthand, the letter u can also stand for the word ou, meaning 'or'.
Examples in context
- Je suis né en Union soviétique.I was born in the U.S.S.R.This sentence shows the use of u in the context of the U.S.S.R.Tatoeba #2430841 by Rovo, translation #2430810 by al_ex_an_der
- Tom a déjà visité les États-Unis.Tom has already visited the U.S.Tatoeba #2896603 by Amastan, translation #12819255 by rul
- Je suis allée deux fois aux États-Unis.I have been to the U.S. twice.Tatoeba #437234 by Archibald, translation #253005 by CN
- 59 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Chloé are texting each other about a movie.
- Lucasu viens au ciné ?U coming to the movies?
- Chloéoui, j'arrive !Yes, I'm on my way!
- Lucasu as pris les billets ?U got the tickets?
- Chloébien sûr, Lucas.Of course, Lucas.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
