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A question for French speakers about the use of tu / vous
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| rjwilmsi |
From next month I'll be studying for a year in France on an ERASMUS / SOCRATES program as part of my chemistry degree.
I've been studying French for years now, so I'm generally proficient, but I was wondering about the correct use of 'tu' / 'vous' as a student:
when I meet a fellow student for the first time can I use 'tu' straight away or do I need to use 'vous' and then 'tu' later on? Would the answer be different if the student were a flatmate, someone I recognized from my course or unknown to me etc? How about when trying to chat up girls?;)
Obviously I'm fully aware of using 'vous' for professors, people in shops etc & adults generally, but I don't want to either offend a French student, or look stupid using some schoolboy / amateur French!
Any suggestions would be appreciated. |
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| TOR |
| i'd use 'tu' myself, since the person you'd be talking to is on the same level as you are. on top of that, you won't create a distance between yourself and the others by using 'tu'. |
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| Mochu |
You can use "tu" to any students.
I mean, you're in the same school and doing the same stuff. You're not a stranger to them.
Keep cool, and use "tu" instead of "vous". ;) |
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| colonelcrisp |
| vous is the propper way to show respect and it doesnt hurt to use it in place of tu. i personally only use tu when i am speaking with close freinds adn relatives, everyone else gets the vous treatment, unless they piss me off then they get the obligatory maudite espece du concombre... |
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