Search from various English teachers...
Sumayya FS
Difference between "tu" and "vous"
I've learned that you can say "Tu mangez (mange is it?) un orange" but you also say "Vous mangez (/mange?) de le riz"
I'm guessing tu is for singular and vous can be used for either singular or plural? Also can you please clarify the different ways to say "eat" (mange, mangez, manger, mangeous, are there any more?)
Apr 8, 2016 5:43 PM
Answers · 4
1
Hey ! Of course, let me clarify it for you ;)
First let's conjugate the verb MANGER at the present form.
• Je mange = I eat
• Tu manges = You eat
• Il mange = He eats
• Nous mangeons = We eat
• Vous mangez = You eat
• Ils mangent = They eat
When you want to say : "You eat an orange" --> "Tu manges une orange" (the article is "une" because orange is "feminine")
When you want to say : "We eat an orange" --> "Nous mangeons du riz" (Never write "de le", "du" replaces "de le", but you were right because you can't put the article "un" or "une" because "riz" is uncountable. It also occurs in English so it makes sense ;))
Now yeah there is in fact a subtlety with the "vous". In French, when you want to adress to someone with polite manners (examples : an older person, your teacher, a stranger,...), you will use "vous" instead of "tu". And "vous" remains "vous", you will always conjugate a "polite vous" the way you conjugate a "normal vous (all of you)".
Let's take an example, you meet a stranger in the street, you want to say "Hi, how are you ?" (I know it's an out-of-reality situation :D), in French you can say : "Bonjour, comment allez-vous?". That is be the polite form. The more familiar form would be : "Bonjour, comment vas-tu?". Quick reminder : the verb ALLER is conjugated like this :
Je vais = I go
Tu vas = You go
Il va = He goes
Nous allons = We go
Vous allez = You go
Ils vont = They go
I hope it makes sense now :)) If you have any other question, feel free to ask ^^
April 8, 2016
1
Hi there. :-)
Tu is informal, so if you were talking to a friend. Vous is formal, and also refers to a group of people. So if you're addressing a few people at a time, or someone older than you whom you don't know, you'd use vous. Each conjugation is as follows:
Je mange = I eat
Tu manges = you eat (informal)
Vous mangez = you eat (formal/multiple people)
Il/elle mange = he/she eats
Nous mangeons = we eat
Ils/elles mangent = they eat
April 8, 2016
Still haven’t found your answers?
Write down your questions and let the native speakers help you!
Sumayya FS
Language Skills
Arabic (Gulf), Arabic (Modern Standard), English, French, Persian (Farsi), Urdu
Learning Language
Arabic (Gulf), Arabic (Modern Standard), French, Urdu
Articles You May Also Like

Same Word, Different Meaning: American, British, and South African English
12 likes · 11 Comments

How to Sound Confident in English (Even When You’re Nervous)
13 likes · 11 Comments

Marketing Vocabulary and Phrases for Business English Learners
10 likes · 6 Comments
More articles