Tu or Vous? [How to use them +9 examples]

tu or vous

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In this French grammar lesson on subject pronouns, you will learn whether you should use tu or vous?

In this lesson you will learn about:

  • how to use tu in French
  • how to use vous in French
  • how to know when you should use tu or vous in French
  • how tu and vous are used in sentences
  • how you can quiz yourself on tu or vous
  • how to practice with flashcards for tu or vous
  • how and why you should use the courses of Language Atlas to learn French

Please refer to the French A1 Curriculum to get a better overview of French grammar, if you are curious about this fits in French A1.

By the end of the lesson, you will know all about tu and vous!

Table of Contents

Table of Subject Pronouns

jeI
tuyou (singular informal)
ilhe, it (masculine)
elleshe, it (feminine)
onone, we (informal), people, they
nouswe (formal)
vousyou (singular formal and all plurals)
ilsthey (masculine, or mixed masculine and feminine)
ellesthey (feminine)

How to Use Tu

Tu has one use. This will be explained and examples will be provided.

  1. Informal singular you

One uses tu when speaking to:

  • Friends
  • Family
  • Children
  • Peers

Tu es mon meilleur ami.

You are my best friend.

Papa, où vas-tu ?

Dad, where are you going to?

Vas-tu faire tes devoirs maintenant ?

Are you going to do your homework now?

Que vas-tu faire demain ?

What are you going to do tomorrow?

How to Use Vous

Vous has two uses. These will both be explained and examples will be provided.

  1. Formal singular you

This vous will be used when speaking to people in the following categories:

  • People we don’t know
  • People older than us
  • People that hold a higher position than us

Qui êtes-vous ?

Who are you?

Bonjour, M. Bernard, comment allez-vous?

Hello, Mr Bernard, how are you?

Vous avez raison, Monsieur le Président

You are right Mr President

Please note that with this vous you are speaking only to one other person.

  1. Plural you

This vous will be used when speaking to people in the following group:

  • Two or more people

Vous êtes le vainqueur de la coupe du monde !

You [plural you] are the winner of the world cup!

Je sais que vous êtes tous là.

I know that you are all there.

Please note that with this vous you are always talking to multiple people.

How to Know Whether to Use Tu or Vous

Should you be uncertain whether to use tu or vous then the safe path is to use vous.

If however, the other person uses tu, then it is fine to switch to tu as well.

Example Sentences with Tu or Vous

The final section of this lesson on tu or vous is about seeing them in action.

This is valuable because you can improve your understanding on tu and vous through examples.

This section contains all of the previous sentences, neatly organised in one place.

tu (informal singular you)

Tu es mon meilleur ami.

You are my best friend.

tu (informal singular you)

Papa, où vas-tu ?

Dad, where are you going to?

tu (informal singular you)

Vas-tu faire tes devoirs maintenant ?

Are you going to do your homework now?

tu (informal singular you)

Que vas-tu faire demain ?

What are you going to do tomorrow?

vous (formal singular you)

Qui êtes-vous ?

Who are you?

vous (formal singular you)

Bonjour, M. Bernard, comment allez-vous?

Hello, Mr Bernard, how are you?

vous (formal singular you)

Vous avez raison, Monsieur le Président

You are right Mr President

vous (plural you)

Vous êtes le vainqueur de la coupe du monde !

You [plural you] are the winner of the world cup!

vous (plural you)

Je sais que vous êtes tous là.

I know that you are all there.

Quiz Yourself on Tu or Vous

At the end of every lesson you can do a small test.

You will see the sentences of the previous chapter. It is up to you to give the correct answer.

You will either need to fill in the blanks, choose the correct multiple choice option, or both.

Once you are done the correct answer will be shown.

You can redo the quiz as many times as you want!

Fill in the Blank!

es mon meilleur ami. [You are my best friend.]

Fill in the Blank!

Vas- faire tes devoirs maintenant ? [Are you going to do your homework now?]

Fill in the Blank!

Bonjour, M. Bernard, comment allez-? [Hello, Mr Bernard, how are you?]

Fill in the Blank!

avez raison, Monsieur le Président. [You are right Mr President.]

How to Practice With Flashcards for This Lesson

Using flashcards is an absolute necessity when it comes to learning a language!

It is the best way to memorize what you learn, you can personalize your progression because it adapts to your actions, and all flashcards have audio to improve your hearing and pronunciation.

Please read our article on how to learn a new language for more information on flashcards and the best way to learn a new language.

There are two ways to practice with Flashcards for this lesson.

  1. Anki
  2. The Flashcards in our Courses

Anki is a free software with which you can create and practice flashcards.

After you have downloaded Anki for free, you can get our French A1 Anki Deck.

This Anki Deck contains 3,764 flashcards with which you can practice absolutely everything for French A1.

All the flashcards have text, images, explanations, and audio.

You can also use our courses that have flashcards integrated alongside lessons with audio, quizzes and much more!

However, I am sure you are wondering, what are your courses, and why should I take them?

The Courses of Language Atlas

Have you ever wondered what the best way is to learn a new language?

I have been learning languages for over 20+ years and I was always frustrated with books, courses, and classes that I had tried.

It never really seemed to work for me.

I wanted to learn a language in the most effective and efficient way, and there was nothing out there for me.

So I thought, “why not make something myself?“.

Using my experience and by doing research I created Language Atlas, a platform where people can learn French and Spanish in the most effective and efficient way.

I created free lessons and quizzes so that there would always be a easy and accessible way for people to learn or brush up on their language skills.

However, I also created courses that are much more comprehensive and in-depth.

These courses are easy to follow, clear, and allow you to become fluent in the most effective and efficient way.

The courses of Language Atlas have:

  • 800+ Lessons with audio
  • 800+ Quizzes
  • 10,000 Flashcards with explanations, images, and audio
  • A gamified way of learning a new language
  • A vibrant community (including support from me)

You can register for free and try the French A0/A1 and Spanish A0/A1 Courses for free!

This includes over 60 lessons and quizzes, 500 flashcards that adapt to how you learn, and access to the community (including support from me).

All you have to do is study 30 minutes a day and you will be fluent in no time!

Don’t miss out – register for free and start learning!

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