Which one should you use?
The form tu es cool is used for an informal singular person, such as a friend or peer. For a formal setting or when addressing a group of people, use vous êtes cool. In spoken, casual French, tu es cool is often contracted to t'es cool.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
tu es cool is an informal way to address a single person. For a more formal or respectful way to express admiration, you can use Je vous trouve vraiment cool! or Vous êtes génial(e)! to mean "You're awesome!" In casual, informal contexts, you might also use Tu es trop cool! for "You're so cool!", T'es super! for "You're super/awesome!", T'es vraiment génial(e)! for "You're really awesome!" or Tu déchires! which means "You rock!"
How does it change in a sentence?
The form tu es cool uses the informal singular pronoun tu. To address a group or use a formal tone, the pronoun changes to vous, resulting in vous êtes cool.
Did you know?
- The word tu shares a common ancestor with the English word 'thou', which was once the standard informal version of 'you' in English.
- Using trop in tu es trop cool literally means 'too much', which is usually negative. In this context, however, it functions as an intensifier meaning 'very' or 'so'.
- The phrase tu déchires literally translates to 'you are tearing' or 'you rip'. It is used as a high compliment to tell someone they are incredibly cool or talented.
Examples in context
- Monsieur Dupont, vous êtes génial dans votre travail!Mr. Dupont, you're great at your job!
- Madame Lambert, je vous trouve vraiment cool avec votre attitude positive!Madame Lambert, I find you really cool with your positive attitude!
- Marie, tu es trop cool avec tes nouvelles chaussures!Marie, you're so cool with your new shoes!
- Sophie, t'es vraiment géniale avec ton sens de l'humour!Sophie, you're really awesome with your sense of humor!
- Hugo, t'as vraiment déchiré sur scène hier soir!Hugo, you totally rocked on stage last night!
- Je trouve que tu es cool.I think you're cool.
- Ne t'inquiète pas, tu es cool.Don't worry, you're cool.
- Tu es cool avec tout le monde.You're cool with everyone.
Example conversation
Two friends are hanging out at a park.
- EmmaTu es cool, Hugo.You're cool, Hugo.
- HugoMerci Emma, c'est gentil.Thanks Emma, that's kind.
- EmmaTu es vraiment relax.You are really relaxed.
- HugoOn se voit demain ?See you tomorrow?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cool, tu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
