French Conversation · Level 151
30 words
French word
vouvoyer
Pronunciation
IPA/vuvwaje/
Meaning
- verbuse the formal you with ___
Example
Il vouvoie les clients au téléphone.
He uses the formal you with the customers on the phone.
More examples
Nous nous vouvoyons encore au travail.
We still address each other formally at work.
Core concept
A formal vous-address setting the tone of an interaction between speaker and addressee.
Common phrases
vouvoyer quelqu'un
address someone formally
se vouvoyer
address each other formally
Similar words
tutoyer: Address someone with the informal pronoun tu.
Definition in French
Adresser quelqu'un en utilisant la deuxième personne polie «vous» pour exprimer du respect ou de la réserve sociale.
Word origin
The verb vouvoyer comes from the pronoun vous and was created by adding the verb-forming ending -oyer.
Usage tips
- Vous serves both for formal singular address and for ordinary plural address, so its form alone does not show how many people are addressed.
Opposites
- tutoyeraddress someone informallyverb
Related words
- vouvoiementformal addressnoun