Formal vs Informal Register (Le registre formel et informel)

One of the trickiest aspects of French for English speakers is knowing when to be formal and when to be informal. French has a built-in formality system — most famously the tu/vous distinction — but the differences go far beyond just pronouns. This lesson explores the full spectrum, from slang to formal written French.

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Tu vs Vous: The Fundamental Distinction

	Tu (Informal)	Vous (Formal / Plural)
Use with	Friends, family, children, peers, animals	Strangers, elders, professionals, in shops/services
Conjugation	Tu parles français.	Vous parlez français.
Imperative	Parle plus fort !	Parlez plus fort !
Possessive	ton / ta / tes	votre / vos
Object pronoun	te / toi	vous

When to Use Tu

• With friends and people your age in social settings
• With children
• With family members
• When someone says On se tutoie ? (Shall we use tu?)
• On social media and in casual online communication

When to Use Vous