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). Choosing tu or vous is a matter of etiquette, not grammar.
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). Choosing tu or vous is a matter of etiquette, not grammar.
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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. The choice between tu and vous is entirely a matter of social register, not grammar correctness - and it’s 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 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. Context and sometimes verb agreement disambiguate in writing, but the ambiguity genuinely persists in speech more than most learners expect.
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).