THE USE OF "TU," "LEI," AND "VOI": ITALIAN POLITENESS
THE USE OF "TU," "LEI," AND "VOI": ITALIAN POLITENESS
On the use of "tu," "Lei," and "Voi":
Italian courtesy:
Today, we'll study Italian politeness and the use of the term "Lei":
To address someone in Italian, there are three forms of address: "tu," "Lei," and "Voi."
He Lei e il Voi: are strictly forms of politeness (or respect).
Which shape should I choose?
At first glance, using the LEI may seem a little difficult or confusing for students
Foreigners
who are learning Italian. It depends on various sociolinguistic factors:
gender, age, the context of the interaction, the nature of the relationship between the participants,
as well as socioeconomic status, the social dimension, power, wealth, etc. …
-tu: a familiar, informal expression used among people who know each other well and are on a first-name basis,
without social distancing.
-Voi: In Old Italian, its use in modern Italian is limited.
We still find the use of“voi”in many southern regions (Campania, Sicily)
and many dialects of southern Italy.
"Il Voi" is used today mainly by the elderly to show respect and maintain a sense of distance
social.
But, unfortunately, using the formal "Voi" brings to mind the Fascist era.
(The term “Noi” was used by Fascist militants; it’s the way they used to refer to us. And the use of “Voi” brings that era to mind. Today, in “standard” Italian—the language taught in schools or studied by foreign students—“Voi”isnolonger used; instead, the politeform “Lei”is employed.)
-Lei: thepronoun "Lei" (or "Lei" as a term of courtesy) is written with a capital "L" (pronounced
"she"),
It is the most commonly used form of oral and written communication when a man and a woman are talking to each other, which is not
They know each other, and depending on whether they want to show respect or keep their distance, they act accordingly.
"Il" and "Lei" are used when writing a very formal letter to a superior, a professor, or someone with a professional title (e.g., doctor, etc.), etc.
Among friends: let's use the informal "tu,"
For people who wish to use formal language, out of respect, let's use the formal "Lei."
Got it?