How to Say "You" in French: Tu, Vous, Toi and Te
"You" in French has four forms: tu and vous (subject), toi (stressed), te (object). Learn which job each does, with the tu/vous etiquette linked in full.
“You” in French has four forms depending on grammar and formality: tu (informal subject), vous (formal or plural subject), toi (stressed/standalone, like after a preposition), and te (object before a verb, as in je te vois). For one person, choosing tu or vous is a matter of etiquette; for several people, use vous. The verb must agree with the chosen pronoun.
Quick answer
”You” in French has four forms depending on grammar and formality: tu (informal subject), vous (formal or plural subject), toi (stressed/standalone, like after a preposition), and te (object before a verb, as in je te vois). For one person, choosing tu or vous is a matter of etiquette; for several people, use vous. The verb must agree with the chosen pronoun.
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Tu and vous: the subject forms
Tu is informal, one person only; vous covers both formal address AND any plural “you all,” regardless of formality - a genuine double duty English doesn’t have. Social register guides the choice for one person, but number and verb agreement still matter: tu es, vous êtes. Etiquette is covered in full in when to use tu vs vous.
Toi: the stressed “you” (mirrors moi)
Toi does the same four jobs moi does for “I”: alone as an answer (- Et toi ?), after prepositions (avec toi, pour toi, chez toi), for emphasis (toi, tu…), and attached to an affirmative imperative (assieds-toi - sit down). See je vs moi for the parallel structure.
Te: the object “you”
Te is the object form, placed before the verb: je te vois (I see you), je t’aime (with elision before the vowel).
| Subject | Object | Stressed | |
|---|---|---|---|
| je | je | me | moi |
| tu | tu | te | toi |
Vous: singular polite vs plural (the ambiguity)
One word, two meanings - formal “you” to one person, or “you all” to any group. The verb uses the same vous form in both cases: vous êtes. Context helps distinguish them; adjective or participle agreement can also show the number in writing: vous êtes arrivé to one man, vous êtes arrivés to several men or a mixed group. These two endings sound the same, so speech can remain ambiguous.
Quick reference chart
| Job | Informal | Formal/plural |
|---|---|---|
| Subject | tu | vous |
| Object | te | vous |
| Stressed | toi | vous |
Vous conveniently covers all three roles on the formal side - only the informal column splits into three distinct words.
Every "you," fully mapped
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Questions about this note
What's the difference between tu and vous?
tu is informal singular; vous is formal or any plural "you all" - see our full tu vs vous etiquette guide.
What does toi mean?
The stressed form of "you" - used alone, after prepositions, or for emphasis.
What is te in French?
The object pronoun form of tu, placed before the verb: je te vois.
Is vous always formal?
No - it's also simply plural "you all," regardless of formality.
How do you say "you too"?
toi aussi (informal) / vous aussi (formal or plural).