A Conversation: Tu or Vous?

Grade level

Grades 2–5

Time

About 20 minutes

Topic

Greetings and introductions

Answer key

Yes, page 2 of the PDF

Kids practice

Greeting people at different times of day, Asking and answering “Ça va ?”, Saying your name and age, Using polite words and choosing tu or vous

What kids do

Printed on the sheet:

1. Hugo meets Inès at school. Fill in the missing words.
2. 2. Inès : Je m’
3. 3. Hugo : Je m’appelle Hugo. Comment
4. 4. Inès : Ça va bien,
5. 5. Hugo : J’ai neuf
6. 6. Inès : J’ai huit ans. Oh, la cloche !
7. French has two words for “you”. Say tu to one friend, a child or someone in your family. Say vous to a grown-up you don’t know well, like a teacher, and to more than one person.

Words on this sheet

Bonjourappelleça vamercianstuvous

Teacher tip

Let two volunteers read Hugo and Inès out loud with real expression, then have pairs swap in their own names and ages.

How to use it

• Practice tu and vous by greeting a friend, then the principal.
• Greet the class in French at the door every morning and wait for a French answer.
• Say every French word out loud and have kids echo it before they read or write it.

Watch for

Saying “bonjour” at night. In the evening the greeting is bonsoir.

Talk about it

• How do you answer “Ça va ?”
• Is this word masculine or feminine? How can you tell?

Take it further

End each day with au revoir and à demain at the door.

US Letter, prints well in black and white. Free for home and classroom use: print as many copies as you need.