clarech

[flat schooner]

Please be patient

Our volunteers look into many questions every day; sometimes it takes them a little while to answer.

Pro tip: you can rename the thread title with `.tr <thread name>`

Make it descriptive, including relevant context, but also to the point. This way you improve your chances of getting a more relevant and specific answer.

[dusky carbon]

Use 'vous' for anyone you'd show respect to:

• Teachers/professors
• Colleagues/bosses (unless otherwise specified)
• Adult strangers (especially those older than you)

[ebon spoke]

to add to this vous is plural you as well, in other words 'yall'

for example, you're talking to a bunch of kids as a teacher youd exclaim "Vous voulez manger les pizzas?!"

to announce pizza party

[cursive rune]

isn't it obvious

[cursive rune]

oh yeah i was looking for this one

[high beacon]

Wth

It's partly supposed to be humorous right

Or what is this

[ebon spoke]

its both

its real yet demonstrated in a comedic way

[high beacon]

oh ok

Comme ça

So it reflects reality

bur it pokee fun at it

Pokee

Pokes

[cursive rune]

yeah 100% real but it's meant to show how complex it is to master tu and vous

[high beacon]

Of course it's social stuff

[cursive rune]

even native speakers sometimes don't know

[high beacon]

It's not just linguistics

Like smth u can quickly learn abt in an article

[weary prairie]

I've had natives switch back and forth on several occasions with me lol

[high beacon]

you mean from vous to tu?

[weary prairie]

From vous to tu, back to vous, back to tu, back to vous, etc

[high beacon]

I thought that was highly offensive. In media i see ppl get triggered

Oh

Does that say smth abt u or...

[weary prairie]

I mean in a context that doesn't call for it, sure

[weary prairie]

I've usually had it happen in professional but familiar relationships like landlords n stuff

[high beacon]

It's like a big thing "tu me tutoie!"

[high beacon]

Oh then it makes sense

Ig

[weary prairie]

Professional brain = vous
Familiar brain = tu
It was funny when they'd flipflop in the same sentence

This doesn't usually happen though

Just to show you that even natives get tripped up sometimes

Usually if you're unsure you can just ask. I mostly see that with extended family, but there are other contexts.

[high beacon]

Its like a declaration of disrespect, they go fight mode

[weary prairie]

Yeah especially in france

Switching from tutoiement to vouvoiement is a bit more complicated

[high beacon]

It's really funny cus in my language we also have a formal form of you, but culturally it's pretty different from vous

[weary prairie]

It doesn't usually happen, but it happened to a friend of mine and he got all excited saying he felt important

[high beacon]

Colleagues and strangers will often tell you to tutoie them bc "theyre not that old" or it makes them feel old

[weary prairie]

Yeah that can happen

[high beacon]

Besides to elders its also used in formal situations like in a job interview or to a professor

[high beacon]

Ahaha nice

See thats how it's so different in my language