New concept
Le vouvoiement at work
Choosing between tu (le tutoiement) and vous (le vouvoiement) is a real skill in French working life. The safe default is vous with:
- your manager and anyone senior — until they suggest otherwise,
- clients, suppliers and anyone you're contacting for the first time,
- older colleagues you don't know well.
Many teams say tu among colleagues of the same level — especially in start-ups, tech and creative jobs — while law firms, banks and public administration tend to keep vous.
Two everyday combinations: vous + first name is common at work (Marina, vous pourriez…?), and Madame / Monsieur on its own, without the surname, is perfectly polite: Bonjour Madame.
To introduce someone: Je vous présente Manon. — Let me introduce Manon.