French Subject Pronouns and Tu vs Vous: A Guide for Punjabi Speakers
Every French sentence needs a subject pronoun: je, tu, il, elle, on, nous, vous, ils, elles. Say tu to one person you know, vous to a stranger, a superior or several people. In conversation, on means we and takes the il/elle verb: On va partir.
Before you speak, ask: who am I talking to? Things are il or elle by gender, a mixed group is ils, and polite vous to one person keeps a singular adjective: Madame, vous êtes prête ?
Getting Started
Every French sentence needs a subject, and unlike Punjabi you cannot drop it. In Punjabi “ਜਾ ਰਿਹਾ ਹਾਂ” works on its own; in French vais alone is wrong, and you must say je vais.
The good news for Punjabi speakers: the tu/vous distinction is not new, because Punjabi already has ਤੂੰ and ਤੁਸੀਂ. English speakers find it hard; you only need to learn where French uses it differently from Punjabi.
1. The nine subject pronouns
| Pronoun | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| je (j’) | I | Je parle punjabi. |
| tu | you (one person you know) | Tu es prêt ? |
| il | he / it (masculine) | Il travaille à Surrey. |
| elle | she / it (feminine) | Elle habite à Brampton. |
| on | we (spoken) / people | On mange à sept heures. |
| nous | we | Nous sommes indiens. |
| vous | you (polite singular, or plural) | Vous avez une question ? |
| ils | they (masculine or mixed) | Ils arrivent demain. |
| elles | they (all feminine) | Elles sont infirmières. |
Notes:
- je → j’ before a vowel or silent h: j’ai, j’habite, j’aime.
- il/ils and elle/elles sound identical. To hear the difference, listen to the verb or the liaison: ils ont (/ilzɔ̃/) vs il a (/ila/).
2. Il and elle are also “it”
French has no separate word for “it”. Every thing is il or elle according to its gender:
- Le bus ? Il est en retard. (The bus? It’s late.) Bus is masculine.
- La voiture ? Elle est neuve. (The car? It’s new.) Voiture is feminine.
Punjabi also genders things, so the idea is familiar, but the genders do not always match: “ਬੱਸ” is feminine in Punjabi, while le bus is masculine in French. Learn every noun with its article, and practise with the le ou la drill.
3. Ils or elles?
- All women, or all feminine things → elles
- Every other case, including one masculine member → ils
Priya, Simran et Harjit arrivent. → Ils arrivent.
4. On: the spoken “we”
On has two meanings:
- We (in conversation, far more common than nous): On va au Tim Hortons ? (Shall we go to Tim Hortons?)
- People / one: Au Québec, on parle français. (In Québec, people speak French.)
Rule: the verb after on always takes the il/elle form, even when it means “we”:
| nous (formal) | on (spoken) |
|---|---|
| Nous parlons. | On parle. |
| Nous sommes fatigués. | On est fatigués. |
| Nous allons partir. | On va partir. |
In Canadian conversation you will rarely hear nous. On is perfectly fine in the TEF/TCF speaking section; write nous in a formal letter.
5. Tu or vous: comparing with Punjabi
| Tu (≈ ਤੂੰ) | Vous (≈ ਤੁਸੀਂ) | |
|---|---|---|
| How many people | one only | one (politely) or several |
| With whom | friends, family, children, peers | strangers, customers, your boss, government offices, doctors |
| Verb | tu parles, tu es | vous parlez, vous êtes |
| Verb for it | tutoyer (to say tu) | vouvoyer (to say vous) |
Where French differs from Punjabi
- Tu within the family. In Punjabi you say ਤੁਸੀਂ to parents, grandparents and older siblings. In French the whole family is normally tu. It signals closeness, not disrespect.
- Relationship matters more than age. Punjabi weighs age heavily. French mainly asks: do you know this person personally? A 25-year-old stranger is still vous.
- Several people are always vous. Speaking to two friends at once: Vous venez ce soir ?
Canada vs France
In Québec, tu arrives quickly. Co-workers, shop staff and sometimes even managers use tu from day one. In France, vous lasts much longer.
The safe rule in both places: start with vous, and switch when the other person uses tu or asks:
- On peut se tutoyer ? (Can we say tu to each other?)
- Tu peux me tutoyer. (You can call me tu.)
For TEF/TCF: in a formal speaking task (an office, a shop, a stranger) use vous from start to finish; slipping into tu costs marks. Write to a friend with tu.
Adjectives with polite vous
When polite vous addresses one person, the adjective stays singular:
- Madame, vous êtes prête ? (to one woman)
- Vous êtes prêts ? (to several people)
6. Where the Simple Rules Break
| Situation | What happens | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Je inside a sentence | Je only has a capital at the start of a sentence, unlike English “I” | Hier, je suis allé au parc. |
| Polite vous to one person | plural verb, singular adjective | Madame, vous êtes prête ? |
| On meaning “we” | the verb is singular, but the adjective is plural | On est fatigués. (We are tired.) |
| A person is tu, then asks you to say vous (or the reverse) | switch for the whole conversation, and never mix the two for one person | Vous êtes prêt, vous venez ? |
| A thing just named, or an idea | il/elle for the named thing, ce for an idea or a situation | La porte ? Elle est cassée. / C’est bien. |
Customs differ between families, regions and workplaces. A Québec doctor may say tu where a French one says vous. If in doubt, say vous: the other person will invite you to switch. The next lesson, C’est vs Il est, explains ce in detail.
Common Mistakes
| ❌ Wrong | ✅ Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Parle français. | Je parle français. | The subject cannot be dropped |
| Je aime le thé. | J’aime le thé. | j’ before a vowel |
| On parlons. | On parle. / Nous parlons. | on takes the il/elle verb form |
| Elles arrivent. (for Priya and Harjit) | Ils arrivent. | One man makes it ils |
| La table ? Il est cassé. | La table ? Elle est cassée. | Use the thing’s gender |
| At an office: Tu peux m’aider ? | Vous pouvez m’aider ? | vous with a stranger |
| Hier, Je suis allé au parc. | Hier, je suis allé au parc. | Je is lowercase inside a sentence. |
| Madame, vous êtes prêts ? (one woman) | Madame, vous êtes prête ? | One polite person: plural verb, singular adjective. |
| Les enfants, tu viens ? | Les enfants, vous venez ? | Several people are always vous. |
| Vous êtes prêt, tu viens ? | Vous êtes prêt, vous venez ? | Never mix tu and vous for one person. |
Practice
A. Which pronoun? Write the missing word
- Ma sœur et moi, ______ allons au gurdwara. (formal)
- Ma sœur et moi, ______ va au gurdwara. (spoken)
- Le téléphone ? ______ ne marche pas.
- Pardon Monsieur, ______ savez où est la banque ?
- Mes filles ? ______ sont à l’école.
- Harpreet, ______ viens avec moi ?
B. Which verb form? Write the missing word
- Tu ______ français ? (parler)
- Nous ______ au Canada. (être)
- Ils ______ un rendez-vous. (avoir)
- On ______ au parc. (aller)
- Vous ______ une question ? (avoir)
- Elle ______ à Surrey. (habiter)
- Elles ______ infirmières. (être)
- Je ______ indien. (être)
C. Tu, vous, il or elle? Write the missing word
- ______ viens ce soir ? (to your sister)
- ______ pouvez réparer la porte ? (to your landlord)
- ______ venez avec moi ? (to two friends)
- Madame, ______ êtes prête ? (to a customer)
- ______ as faim ? (to your mother)
- ______ t’appelles comment ? (to a child)
- ______ est cassée. (about la chaise)
- ______ est en retard. (about le bus)
Answers
A. 1. nous · 2. on · 3. Il (téléphone is masculine) · 4. vous (a stranger) · 5. Elles (all girls) · 6. tu (one person you know)
B. 1. parles · 2. sommes · 3. ont · 4. va · 5. avez · 6. habite · 7. sont · 8. suis
C. 1. Tu · 2. Vous · 3. Vous · 4. vous · 5. Tu · 6. Tu · 7. Elle · 8. Il
Your Turn
Task (TEF/TCF Expression Orale, Section A): the washing machine in your rented flat is broken. Say it twice: first on a formal phone call to your landlord, then in a message to a friend who lives upstairs. Each version should be 30–45 words.
Show a model answer
To the landlord (vous): Bonjour Monsieur Gill, c’est Harpreet Singh, du numéro 4. La machine à laver est en panne : elle ne marche plus depuis hier. Est-ce que vous pouvez envoyer quelqu’un cette semaine ? Je suis à la maison après dix-huit heures. Merci beaucoup.
To the friend (tu): Salut Simran ! Ma machine à laver est en panne. Est-ce que je peux utiliser ta machine ce soir ? On prend un café après ? Merci !
What to check: vous from start to finish in the first, tu and ta in the second, elle for la machine, and on meaning “we” in the friendly message.
What’s Next
FAQ
Are tu and vous like Punjabi ਤੂੰ and ਤੁਸੀਂ?
Very close. Tu is for one person you know (ਤੂੰ); vous is for a stranger, a superior, and any group (ਤੁਸੀਂ). The big difference is family: in Punjabi you say ਤੁਸੀਂ to your parents, but in French you normally say tu to them.
What does on mean?
In conversation on usually means 'we': On va au parc = we're going to the park. It can also mean 'people in general': Ici, on parle français = people speak French here. The verb always takes the il/elle form.
Is a mixed group of men and women ils or elles?
Ils. Use elles only when every member of the group is feminine. One masculine member makes it ils.
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