One thing I've really struggled with since being in France is knowing when to use 'tu' and 'vous' (informal and formal ways of saying 'you' respectively, for any non-French speakers reading this). Which do you use for your landlady? Your work colleagues? Your boss, who is also technically a work colleague? Some people were helpful at the beginning, like some of the teachers at my school, who said I didn't have to use 'vous' with them because we were colleagues. Other people I just had to guess with.
Those aren't so much of an issue anymore, because if I haven't been told at some point, I've just picked one and am now rolling with it. My main problem now is that when I was arrived, I was so used to saying 'vous' automatically that I was using it with everyone. This included the kids at school. And believe me, there is something a bit intimidating about having eight-year-olds look at you like you're crazy when you do that.
So for over a month I have been training myself out of automatically saying 'vous'. Unfortunately, as a result, I am now using 'tu' automatically, with taxi drivers, shop assistants, people who ask me things in the street... people I really should be using 'vous' with.
Then there are certain expressions that you learn in a certain way - for example, I'm so used to saying 's'il vous plait' that I can't make myself remember to sometimes say 's'il te plait'. Equally, I always say 'a tes souhaits' and never 'a vos souhaits'.
Basically, you just can't win with the French language.
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