Which one should you use?
There is a nuance between different ways of saying someone is good: tu es doué implies a natural talent or a gift, whereas tu es bon is more commonly used to describe someone's proficiency or high level of skill in a specific task. For very high praise in an informal way, you might hear Tu déchires, which literally translates to "You tear apart" but means the person is exceptionally good.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The level of formality depends on the pronoun used. tu es doué is informal and appropriate for friends, family or peers. For strangers, elders or professional settings, use the formal Vous êtes doué(e). In very casual speech, you may hear the even more contracted informal form T'es doué(e). For an informal way to say someone is awesome or great, use T'es génial(e).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Parisian slang, the phrase Tu gères grave is used to mean "You seriously manage" or "You nail it".
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase must agree with the gender of the person you are addressing. If you are speaking to a woman, you must add an extra e to the end of doué to make it tu es douée.
Did you know?
- While tu es doué implies a natural gift, saying tu es bon can be risky in certain contexts because it can also mean 'you are tasty' or refer to sexual prowess.
- Using the formal Vous êtes doué with someone you consider a peer can be interpreted as a cold or sarcastic way of creating distance.
- The pronoun tu used in tu es doué comes from the same Proto-Indo-European root as the English 'thou'. This links the modern French informal address to an archaic English form.
Examples in context
- Vous êtes incroyablement compétent(e)!You're incredibly competent!
- Tu es vraiment très doué(e)You're really very skilled
- Vous êtes absolument excellent(e)You're absolutely excellent
- T'as une voix incroyableYou have an incredible voice
- Vous avez une manière exceptionnelle de résoudre des problèmesYou have an exceptional way of solving problems
- Tu es doué en dessin.You are good at drawing.
Example conversation
Manon and Hugo are talking about Hugo's guitar playing.
- ManonHugo, tu joues vraiment bien de la guitare.Hugo, you play the guitar really well.
- HugoMerci Manon, c'est gentil.Thank you Manon, that's kind.
- ManonTu es doué, continue comme ça !You are talented, keep it up!
- HugoJe vais essayer de m'entraîner plus.I will try to practice more.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
