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Using tu and vous

FoundationHigherAQA

Understand Using tu and vous for GCSE French with this free worksheet and full mark scheme — Foundation and Higher exam-style practice with worked answers for AQA GCSE French (8652). Tu is informal and singular, while vous is either formal or plural.

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These worksheets and mark schemes are original, written for Virtus Academy and checked against the current AQA specification. Every worksheet comes with a full mark scheme.

Foundation

WorksheetFoundation · PDFMark SchemeFoundation · PDF

Higher

WorksheetHigher · PDFMark SchemeHigher · PDF

Topic overview

French has two words for you, and choosing between them is a matter of politeness rather than grammar.

Tu is singular and informal, used with one person you know well — a friend, a family member, a classmate, or someone your own age. Vous is used in two situations: for more than one person regardless of how well you know them, and for one person you are being polite to.

The polite use is what matters in exams. You would use vous with a teacher, a shopkeeper, a stranger, or anyone older whom you do not know well. Getting it wrong is not just a grammar error — using tu with a stranger sounds rude, and role-play tasks are marked on this.

Revision notes

When to use tu

One person, informally: a friend, family member, classmate, or someone your own age.

It signals familiarity. Using it with someone you have just met, or someone older in a formal setting, sounds inappropriate rather than merely wrong.

When to use vous

Two situations: more than one person, or one person politely.

Use it with a teacher, shopkeeper, stranger or older person. When in doubt in an exam role-play, vous is the safer choice — it is never rude, whereas tu can be.

Consistency matters

Once you choose, stay with it throughout.

The verb ending, the possessive and the object pronoun must all match. Switching between comment allez-vous and ton nom in the same conversation is a marked error.

Key points

  • Tu is singular and informal.
  • Tu is used with friends and family.
  • Vous is used for more than one person.
  • Vous is also used for politeness.
  • Use vous with teachers and strangers.
  • Stay consistent throughout a conversation.

Worked examples

Example 1

State which form of you to use when speaking to a shopkeeper, and explain. [2 marks]

Working

vouschoose the polite form
Vous is used because the shopkeeper is a stranger and the situation is formalgive the reason

Example 2

State which form to use with two close friends, and explain. [2 marks]

Working

vouschoose the plural form
Vous is used because there is more than one person, even though they are close friendsgive the reason

Example 3

Explain why consistency matters once you have chosen tu or vous. [2 marks]

Working

The verb ending, possessive and object pronoun must all match the form chosenstate what must agree
so switching between the two within a conversation is a marked errorexplain the consequence

Common mistakes

  • Using tu with a stranger.

    It sounds rude; vous is required.

  • Forgetting vous is also plural.

    Two friends take vous even though they are informal.

  • Mixing tu and vous in one conversation.

    Everything must stay consistent.

  • Assuming vous is only formal.

    It covers both politeness and plurality.

Exam tips

  • Choose vous when in any doubt.
  • Remember vous is plural as well as polite.
  • Keep verbs and possessives consistent.
  • Check the relationship described in the task.

Key terms

Tu
The informal singular form of you.
Vous
The formal or plural form of you.
Formality
The level of politeness required by the situation.
Consistency
Keeping the same form throughout a conversation.

Related topics

Written and reviewed against the current AQA specification. Spotted an error? Let us know.