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Lesson 59 of 240

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Madame, monsieur, tu or vous in French

Sam meets Monsieur Lefebvre in the doorway of the walk-up. He tries a casual tu, and the landlord waits.

Odile at the café still gets madame. Lefebvre always gets vous. A friend may do la bise; the landlord will not.

By the end, you'll greet a woman or a man, ask if it is tu or vous, and know when la bise is not the move.

By the end of this lesson

Greet people with madame, monsieur, tu or vous.

  • Bonjour madame.Hello, ma'am.
  • Bonjour monsieur.Hello, sir.
  • On se tutoie ?Shall we use tu?
  • Tu ou vous ?Is it tu or vous?
  • On fait la bise ?Shall we do la bise?
  • On se vouvoie.We use vous.

Scene — the doorway waits

Same week on rue des Tilleuls. Sam stops at Café des Tilleuls, where Odile is at the counter, then walks toward his building.

Inès lives two floors below him. Monsieur Lefebvre is in the doorway with his ring of keys. The wooden stairs start behind him. There is no lift.

A wide morning view of the street with Sam approaching the café terrace, Odile at the open counter, and Gaspard seated on the terrace.

Learn — madame, monsieur, tu or vous

Six short lines cover hello to a woman or a man, tu or vous, and whether you do la bise.

Learn each as one piece for the door.

  1. Over-the-shoulder view of Sam just inside the café, lifting a hand in greeting toward Odile at the counter.

    Bonjour madame.

    Hello, ma'am.

    When to use it: Say this to a woman in a shop, café, or doorway.

    Learn it as one piece for a woman at the door.

  2. Close-up of Odile behind the café counter, looking up and returning the greeting with a small nod.

    Bonjour monsieur.

    Hello, sir.

    When to use it: Say this to a man in a shop, café, or doorway.

    Learn it as one piece for a man at the door.

    Say it: The last r in monsieur is silent.

  3. Medium two-shot of Odile leaning across the counter toward Sam with an open hand in welcome.

    On se tutoie ?

    Shall we use tu?

    When to use it: Ask this when you are not sure you can use tu.

    Learn it as one piece to offer the friendly you.

  4. Close-up of Sam’s hands hovering over the café counter, paused as if choosing how to greet.

    Tu ou vous ?

    Is it tu or vous?

    When to use it: Ask this when you do not know which you to use.

    Learn it as one piece when you cannot tell which you.

  5. High-angle view of Sam on the café pavement leaning in for la bise as Inès waves and leans in too.

    On fait la bise ?

    Shall we do la bise?

    When to use it: Ask this before cheek kisses, never with the landlord.

    Learn it as one piece; it asks about cheek kisses.

    Say it: The t in fait is silent.

  6. Low-angle doorway view of Monsieur Lefebvre with a ring of keys and wooden stairs behind, Sam greeting from the stoop while Monsieur Lefebvre does not lean in.

    On se vouvoie.

    We use vous.

    When to use it: Say this to keep the polite you with someone new.

    Learn it as one piece when you stay on the polite you.

Story — he does not lean in

Watch Sam greet Odile, ask a friend about la bise, then try tu with the landlord. Lefebvre waits and keeps vous.

The highlighted words are the lines you just learned. Turn on Show English if you need it.

  1. The lamps are on. Odile looks up from the zinc counter.
  2. OdileBonjour.Hello.
  3. SamBonjour madame.Hello, ma'am.
  4. Sam is on the street. Inès waves from the pavement.
  5. InèsSalut.Hi.
  6. SamOn fait la bise ?Shall we do la bise?
  7. InèsOui !Yes!
  8. Later, Lefebvre stands in the building doorway with his keys.
  9. SamBonjour monsieur.Hello, sir.
  10. Monsieur LefebvreBonjour. Entrez.Hello. Come in.
  11. SamSalut. On se tutoie ?Hi. Shall we use tu?
  12. Monsieur LefebvreOn se vouvoie.We use vous.
  13. Lefebvre's answer is half lost in the jingle of his keys. Sam is not sure he heard it.
  14. SamTu ou vous ?Is it tu or vous?
  15. Monsieur LefebvreOn se vouvoie.We use vous.

Practice — which you is it

Ten quick exercises wait here. You'll listen, pick, match, fill a gap, and build a line.

They stay tiny, so the round moves fast.

0 of 10 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    French

    Bonjour madame.Drop the English here
    Bonjour monsieur.Drop the English here
    On se vouvoie.Drop the English here

    English

    Drag an English line onto its French, or tap one and then the other.

  3. What do you say?

    You meet the landlord in the doorway. Greet him.

  4. What does it mean?

    Bonjour.

  5. Fill the gap

    Is it tu or vous?

    Tu ____ vous ?

  6. Swap the word

    A person your age just offered first names. Check you can switch.

    On se ____ ?

  7. Build the line

    Shall we do la bise?

     ?

    Tap the words in order.

  8. What do you say?

    The landlord waits and does not offer the friendly you. You accept.

  9. What does it mean?

    Salut.

  10. True or false?

    Lefebvre can say this when he holds the street door.

Say it — say it at the door

Now you're Sam at the café, then with a friend, then at the door. When it's your turn, tap the microphone and speak the line.

Tap ▶ first if you want to hear the line. Your recording stays on your device.

  1. OdileBonjour.Hello.
  2. Sam (you)Greet her. She is a woman at the counter.

    Bonjour madame.

    Hello, ma'am.

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
Bonjour madame.Hello, ma'am.
Bonjour monsieur.Hello, sir.
On se tutoie ?Shall we use tu?
Tu ou vous ?Is it tu or vous?
On fait la bise ?Shall we do la bise?
On se vouvoie.We use vous.
Next: lesson 60Are you from around here

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Want to keep madame and monsieur handy? Grab the Yak Cards for this lesson and review them anywhere.

A quick round with the Yak Cards each day keeps tu and vous ready for the door.

Open Yak Cards