Tu vs vous in French: which ‘you’ to use and when

French has two words for “you”. Tu is informal and singular — it speaks to one person you are close to. Vous does two jobs: it is the polite, formal way to say “you” to one person, and it is the only way to say “you” to more than one person. When you are not sure which to use with an adult you have just met, start with vous.

The key idea: vous has two jobs

The mistake English speakers make most is forgetting that vous is also the plural “you”. Even when you would say tu to each friend one by one, you switch to vous the moment you address them together.

Tu es prêt, Marc ?
Are you ready, Marc? (one close friend)

Vous êtes prêts, les amis ?
Are you ready, friends? (the same friends, now as a group)

So vous is never wrong for a group. It is only a register choice — formal or informal — when you talk to one person.

When to use tu

Use tu with one person when the relationship is close or casual:

• family and close friends;
• children and teenagers;
• classmates, teammates, and peers your own age;
• often online, in games, and on social media among young people.

Tu veux un café ?
Do you want a coffee? (to a friend)

When to use vous with one person

Use vous for one person to show distance or respect:

• someone you have just met, especially an adult;
• older people you are not close to;
• a boss, teacher, official, or customer;
• staff you are speaking to in a shop, hotel, or restaurant.

Vous pouvez m’aider, s’il vous plaît ?
Can you help me, please? (to a stranger)

A useful default: with an adult you don’t know, choose vous first. It is easy to relax to tu later; starting too familiar can feel rude. French speakers often make the switch explicit — someone may say On peut se tutoyer ? (“Shall we use tu?”) once the relationship is friendly enough.

The verb changes too

Choosing tu or vous also changes the verb ending. A few high-frequency verbs:

This is why register matters for more than politeness: the whole sentence has to agree with the pronoun you picked.

Common mistakes

Using tu with a stranger or an elder

To someone you have just met, tu can sound too familiar. Use vous until you are invited to switch.

Tu as l’heure ? → Vous avez l’heure ?
Do you have the time? (to a stranger in the street)

Forgetting that vous is plural

To two or more people, you need vous even among friends.

Tu venez ce soir ? → Vous venez ce soir ?
Are you coming tonight? (to several friends)

Mixing the pronoun and the verb ending

The verb must match the pronoun: tu takes the -s form, vous takes the -ez (or êtes/avez) form.

Vous parles français ? → Vous parlez français ?
Do you speak French?

Politeness in French starts with this choice, and it pairs naturally with knowing when to greet someone with bonjour or bonsoir. In Fluera you decide tu or vous inside short, real situations — greeting a stranger, asking a friend a question — so the right form and its verb ending come together. Try it when you practice French and the choice quickly becomes automatic.

Practice