vous

Czech

Alternative forms

• fous

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *ǫsъ

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈvou̯s]

Noun

1. one of threads of hair which form a beard
2. beard

Synonyms

• (beard): vousy

See also

• knír m

Further reading

• Template:R:PSJC
• Template:R:SSJC

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French

Etymology

From Middle French vous, from Old French vos, vous, from Latin vōs, from Proto-Italic *wōs.

See cognates in regional languages in France : Angevin vous, Bourbonnais-Berrichon vous, Bourguignon vous, Champenois vous, Franc-Comtois vôs, Gallo vouz, Lorrain vous, Norman vos, Orléanais vous, Picard os, Poitevin-Saintongeais vous, , Franco-Provençal vos, Occitan vosautres (Provençal vousautes), Catalan vosaltres, Corsican voi.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /vu/

• audio

  (file)

• Homophone: voue
• Rhymes: -u

Pronoun

vous (formal singular, and plural)

1. The plural personal pronoun in the second person:
   1. (subject pronoun) You.

      Vous allez ― You go.

   2. (direct object pronoun) You.

      Je vous adore. ― I love you.

2. You, to you (indirect object pronoun).

   Je vous donnerai mon adresse. ― I will give you my address / I will give my address to you.

3. (formal, polite) plural or singular personal pronoun in the second person

   Monsieur, je ne peux pas vous le dire ― Sir, I cannot tell you.

Usage notes

• vous is used to address more than one person or to address one person formally. vous is often used, for example, when two adults meet for the first time.
• Children, youth, and students do not usually use vous with each other. Adults do not usually use vous to address young children.
• The use of vous is always considered professional and is used in office settings, schools, etc. to address a single person even when the speaker knows that person well. Thus, Avez-vous fini? (are you finished) may often be heard in an office setting, while As-tu fini? (singular, personal you) is not as common. Likewise, some people may call each other tu in some settings and vous in others; for example, lawyers who are friends with each other may call each other tu in informal settings but vous when in court, out of respect for the formal setting.
• The use of vous and tu varies from place to place. For example, Quebecers have the reputation of being freer with tu than Europeans, such as among work colleagues.(Can we clean up⁽⁺⁾ this sense?)

Derived terms

• comment allez-vous
• vous-même, vous-mêmes
• vouvoyer

 

Related terms

French personal pronouns

Number	Person	Gender	Nominative (subject)	Accusative (direct complement)	Dative (indirect complement)	Disjunctive (tonic)
Singular	First	—	je, j’	me, m’		moi
	Second	—	tu	te, t’		toi
	Third	Masculine	il	le, l’	lui	lui
		Feminine	elle	la, l’		elle
		Gender neutral5	iel	lea		ellui
		Indeterminate	on1	—	—	—
		Reflexive	—	se, s’4		soi4
Plural	First	—	nous	nous		nous
	Second	—	vous2	vous2,3		vous2
	Third	Masculine	ils3	les	leur	eux
		Feminine	elles			elles
		Gender neutral5	iels			elleux

¹ Also used as the first person plural.

² Also used as the polite singular form.

³ Also used when a group has both men and women.

⁴ Also used as third person plural reflexive.

⁵ Colloquial, and not in popular use.

Further reading

• “vous”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

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Middle French

Etymology

From Old French vos, vous, from Latin vōs.

Pronoun

vous

1. you (plural or polite)
2. yourself (second-person plural or polite reflexive pronoun)

Usage notes

• As in modern French, vous is either plural or polite as both a subject pronoun and a reflexive pronoun:
  • 1488, Jean Dupré, Lancelot du Lac, page 12:

    Car se vous vous mettez en ceste forest qui est grande et espesse

    For if you put yourself into this forest which is big and thick

    (The first vous is the subject pronoun, and the second is the reflexive pronoun. Both are singular, referring to Lancelot)

Descendants

• French: vous

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Old French

Etymology

From Latin vōs.

Pronoun

vous

1. Alternative form of vos