SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/fr-vous-or-tu

Talking to a hotel clerk you just met in France, which word for 'you' should you use?

Vous, the polite you, is right for strangers.

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  1. Tu, always
  2. Toi, always
  3. Vous ✔

Why: Vous is the polite you for strangers, staff and older people. Tu is for family, friends, kids and pets, so wait until someone invites you to use it.

Huh, didn't know that: French even has verbs for it: vouvoyer means to call someone vous, and tutoyer means to call them tu.

The dad joke
Why did the owl in Paris sound so polite? It only ever said vous, vous.
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References

Answer: Vous. Vous is the polite you for strangers, staff and older people. Tu is for family, friends, kids and pets, so wait until someone invites you to use it.

  1. Larousse dictionnaire de français: vous www.larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais/vous
    dans l'emploi dit de politesse, en dehors des relations familiales ou de camaraderie où on emploie tu
    Checked 2026-10-12.
  2. Larousse French-English: tutoyer www.larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais-anglais/tutoyer
    to use the familiar "tu" form with
    Checked 2026-10-12.

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