A2BeginnerSpoken Quebec French · Point 25 / 40
voisins, collègues, fête, employé au guichet, médecin, propriétaire, client, tout ce qui s’écrit
In Quebec people switch to “tu” faster than in France: between neighbours, colleagues, at a party, often in the very first conversation.
| Situation | Pattern | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| voisins, collègues, fête | — | informal, close relationships |
| employé au guichet, médecin, propriétaire, client | — | professional relationships with a stranger |
| tout ce qui s’écrit | — | written, formal communication |
When in doubt, start with “vous”: the other person will tell you if they prefer “tu”.
Examples from our dialogues 5 · 5 with audio
- Listen
Enchanté, Manon. Moi, c'est Karim. On peut se tutoyer, si tu veux.
Nice to meet you, Manon. I'm Karim. We can use « tu », if you'd like.
Check The Full DialogueGetting to know a new neighbour
- Listen
Ha ha ! Ça arrive. Bon, écoutez, est-ce que ça vous dérangerait qu'on se tutoie ? On se voit assez souvent maintenant.
Ha ha! It happens. Well, listen — would you mind if we used « tu » with each other? We see each other often enough now.
Check The Full DialogueBumping into an acquaintance on the street and switching from « vous » to « tu »
- Listen
Enchanté, Sophie. Moi, c'est David. Sentez-vous libre de me tutoyer, ce sera plus simple.
Nice to meet you, Sophie. I'm David. Feel free to use « tu » with me — it'll be easier.
Check The Full DialogueGetting to know people at a condo meeting
- Listen
Super ! Si tu as des questions, n'hésite pas.
Great! If you have questions, don't hesitate.
Check The Full DialogueIntroducing yourself to your new team
- Listen
Bonjour ! Quelle taille cherchez-vous ?
Hello! What size are you looking for?
Check The Full DialogueAsking for another size or colour
Common mistakes
Tu peux m'aider ? (à un employé au guichet)Pouvez-vous m'aider ? / Vous pouvez m'aider ?
Even though Quebec uses “tu” easily, a clerk you do not know gets “vous”. “Tu” here reads as disrespect, not warmth.
« On peut se tutoyer ? » — Oui. Et vous, vous habitez ici depuis longtemps ?« On peut se tutoyer ? » — Oui. Et toi, tu habites ici depuis longtemps ?
After accepting “tu”, carrying on with “vous” creates an odd distance. Switch to “tu” from the very next sentence.
Practise speaking
Les interactions socialesSocial interactions
Greeting, getting acquainted, chatting with a neighbour — the French of everyday exchanges.
These dialogues use this point. They open on the dialogue page (audio, vocabulary to save).