Navigating the French:
“Tutoiement” with Ian Winick
French has two forms of the 2nd person “you”; the informal “tu” and the formal register “vous”. The practice of using the informal “tu” form is known as “tutoiement”. If you start to get along fairly well with a new French acquaintance, you might field the question… On peut se tutoyer ? “Can we say tu?” This phrase allows you to change registers from the formal to the informal at the drop of a hat – something that English doesn’t allow quite so easily.
Further than the grammatical rules, there are many cultural considerations related to the use or non-use of “tutoiement”, what does this reveal about French culture and society and how does this compare for Anglophones? Joining host Emilie Monaco on this episode is translator Ian Winick.
Ian Winick
Ian Winick is a French and German to English translator originally from Dublin. He has been translating professionally for the past 20 years.
Head to his website to learn more.
The cover photo of this article features characters Noémie and Mathias from the French series “Call my Agent”.
These characters have an interesting dynamic where tutoiement and vouvoiement are explored.
