Month: July 2014

For learners of French, and indeed many other languages, it’s often difficult to know how to address people, since there are two different forms of the word for “you”: tu and vous. Back in Coffee Break French lesson 3 we introduced this concept, and in our mini soap opera in lessons 71-80 we discussed it too in lesson 76.

We’ve come across a wonderful flow chart on how to use correctly the tu and vous form in French which has been doing the rounds on social media in the past few days. Created by the author William Alexander whose forthcoming book “Flirting with French: How a Language Charmed Me, Seduced Me, and Almost Broke My Heart” (which we can’t wait to read!), the flow chart explains exactly when you should opt for tu and when you should stick with vous. Although the author’s tongue was obviously firmly in cheek, it’s very accurate! Please have a look at the original which you can find on the LA Times site and let us know what you think in the comments below, and if you’re interested in pre-ordering the book, here are the Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk links!