How to Say “You” in French

Ways to say it

Both forms function as subject pronouns to address the person being spoken to. They can also function as determiners to refer to the individual or group being addressed. In casual situations, using the person's first name is an informal way to refer to them.

Which one should you use?

The form tu is used to address a single person in informal settings. In contrast, vous is used to address a single person in formal settings and it is also used to address any group of people regardless of how formal the situation is.

Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?

tu is the informal, familiar form. vous is the polite, formal form and is the most common and widely used polite form of "you" in French. In certain formal situations, it is also appropriate to use monsieur or madame as a respectful way to address someone. There are specific verbs to describe these social interactions: tutoyer means to address someone using the familiar tu, while vouvoyer means to address someone using the formal vous.

Related words

The individual or group spoken/written to (det): tu, vous.

To address using the more formal second-person pronoun (verb): vouvoyer, voussoyer.

How do you pronounce it?

/ty/

What mistakes should you avoid?

When addressing a group of people, you must always use vous, even if the people in that group are close friends or family members.