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All 14 Flashcards — Register: tu vs Lei
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Question
tu vs Lei — che cosa sono?
Answer
Due modi di dire 'you': tu (informale) e Lei (formale, di cortesia).
Question
essere — tu / Lei
Answer
(tu) sei · (Lei) è — Lei prende la 3ª persona singolare.
Question
avere — tu / Lei
Answer
(tu) hai · (Lei) ha
Question
stare — tu / Lei
Answer
(tu) stai · (Lei) sta ('come stai?' → 'come sta?')
Question
Object pronoun 'you' — tu / Lei
Answer
ti (informale) · La (diretto) / Le (indiretto) (formale)
Question
Possessive 'your' — tu / Lei
Answer
tuo/tua (informale) · Suo/Sua (formale, spesso maiuscolo)
Question
Imperative 'wait!' — tu / Lei
Answer
aspetta! (tu) · aspetti! (Lei, forma di cortesia)
Question
Which person does the verb take with Lei?
Answer
The 3rd-person singular — the same as lui/lei: «Lei parla, ha, sta».
Question
When do you use tu?
Answer
With friends, family, classmates, peers, and in a blog for other young people.
Question
When do you use Lei?
Answer
With strangers, elders, teachers, and in formal letters or emails to a company.
Question
Rewrite as Lei: «Come stai? Ti do il tuo libro.»
Answer
«Come sta? Le do il Suo libro.» (verb, pronoun and possessive all switch).
Question
What is the classic register error?
Answer
Mixing tu and Lei in one text — e.g. «Gentile Signora, come stai?».
Question
If you're unsure which register to use, which is safer?
Answer
Lei — over-politeness is rarely wrong; wait for «Diamoci del tu» to switch.
Question
Which criterion most rewards correct register?
Answer
Criterion C (Conceptual understanding) — plus Criterion A for the matching verbs/pronouns.
Read the notes
Full study notes for Register: tu vs Lei
Topic 3.5 hub
Cohesion & register
More from Topic 3.5
All flashcards in this topic
Italian B exam skills
Paper structures & tips
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