voussoyer

Senses

1. 1.

   to address someone as 'vous' (formal/plural you)

   to use the formal or plural second-person pronoun

Examples

• "En France, on vousoie généralement les étrangers et les personnes âgées."

  In France, one generally addresses strangers and elderly people as 'vous'.

• "Les enfants ne devraient pas vousoyer leurs parents."

  Children should not address their parents as 'vous'.

• "Elle vousoie tous ses collègues, même les plus jeunes."

  She uses 'vous' with all her colleagues, even the youngest ones.

Usage

A formal verb used in sociolinguistic contexts. The opposite is tutoyer (to use 'tu'). It refers to the social practice of pronoun choice in French; common in discussions of politeness, hierarchy, and interpersonal dynamics.