What it is: The reader decides the register: tu for a friend, vous for an adult you don't know or a group.
| Reader | Register | Greeting | Sign-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| a friend | informal | Salut Léa ! | Bises / À bientôt ! |
| blog readers | semi-formal | Bonjour à tous ! | À vous de jouer ! |
| the head, the mayor | formal | Madame la Proviseure, | Veuillez agréer… |
| a company | formal | Madame, Monsieur, | Cordialement, |
- tutoyer
- to say tu
- vouvoyer
- to say vous
- le registre soutenu
- formal register
- le registre courant
- neutral register
- le registre familier
- informal register
- le ton
- tone
Remember: Vous is also polite for one person. A head teacher always gets vous.
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| Informal | Formal |
|---|---|
| Tu peux m'aider ? | Pourriez-vous m'aider ? |
| Je veux… | Je souhaiterais… |
| C'est nul. | Cette situation est regrettable. |
| ça | cela |
| on | nous |
| J'sais pas. | Je ne sais pas. |
Two quick formal markers: Use the conditional to ask (pourriez-vous, je souhaiterais) and keep ne in every negative.
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Do
- Decide tu or vous first.
- Ask with the conditional.
- Keep one register throughout.
Don't
- Mix tu and vous.
- Use slang in a formal letter.
- Sound stiff with a friend.