Tu vs Vous in French: When to Use Each
Tu is for friends, family and children. Vous is for strangers, people you respect, and any group. When to switch, how agreement works, and a quick self-test.
Learn FrenchFree app with audio, quizzes and real booksFrench has two words for "you". Tu is for one person you're close to. Vous is for one person you address politely, and for any group of two or more, polite or not. Getting it wrong isn't a disaster, but French speakers notice, so it's worth knowing the rules.
The quick table
| Tu | Vous | |
|---|---|---|
| One friend, family member, child | ✓ | |
| One stranger, shop assistant, official | ✓ | |
| Your boss or an older person you don't know well | ✓ | |
| Two or more people, anyone | ✓ | |
| Verb form | tu parles | vous parlez |
| Possessives | ton, ta, tes | votre, vos |
Use tu with
Family and friends. Tu viens ce soir ? (Are you coming tonight?)
Children and pets. Adults say tu to children, even ones they've just met.
People your own age in casual settings. Students and young people use tu with each other almost straight away.
Use vous with
Anyone you don't know. Shop staff, waiters, people asking for directions: Excusez-moi, vous savez où est la gare ? (Excuse me, do you know where the station is?)
People you show respect to. Older people, teachers, doctors, and usually your boss, at least at first.
Any group. Talking to two friends at once? That's vous too: Vous venez ce soir ? (Are you both coming tonight?)
Switching from vous to tu
There's a verb for each: tutoyer (to say tu) and vouvoyer (to say vous). The switch usually comes from the older or more senior person: On peut se tutoyer ? (Shall we say tu?) Until someone suggests it, stay with vous. If you're unsure, vous is the safe choice: being too polite is rarely a problem, being too familiar can be.
Workplaces vary. Many younger companies use tu from day one, while banks, law firms and the public sector tend to stay with vous. In Quebec, tu is far more common than in France, including with strangers.
Agreement with polite vous
The verb with vous is always plural, even when you're talking to one person. Adjectives and past participles, though, agree with the real person:
- Vous êtes prêt ? (Are you ready? to one man)
- Vous êtes prête ? (to one woman)
- Vous êtes prêts ? (to a group)
Test yourself
Choose tu or vous, then check below.
- Asking a stranger on the street for the time.
- Talking to your little brother.
- Talking to your two best friends at once.
- Your new manager hasn't suggested anything yet.
- A seven-year-old asks you a question.
- Ordering a coffee from a waiter in Paris.
Answers: 1. vous. 2. tu. 3. vous (it's a group). 4. vous. 5. tu. 6. vous.
Keep going
Our French subject pronouns lesson covers on, il and elle and the rest of the set, with a quiz. For another pair that trips learners up, see Savoir vs Connaître.
You'll get a feel for tu and vous fastest by watching how characters address each other in real stories. Our Learn French app takes you from vocabulary and grammar through graded reading to full classics with a translation under every line. It's free to download, though some books and extra content need diamonds you earn while learning, or Premium.