Comments on: Darf ich Sie tuer? http://cowfish.org.uk/blog/2009/09/29/darf-ich-sie-tuer/ Another bearded man on the internet Wed, 13 Apr 2011 16:56:49 +0100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Melinda Seckington http://cowfish.org.uk/blog/2009/09/29/darf-ich-sie-tuer/comment-page-1/#comment-729 Melinda Seckington Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:36:21 +0000 http://cowfish.org.uk/blog/?p=1402#comment-729 In Dutch we have kind of the same thing: 'jij' as the familiarity 'you' and 'u' as the more formal one. (sidenote: extremely annoying for an English speaking kid to learn, when do you 'know' somebody well enough to use the less formal term?). The difference between the Dutch and the German though (not sure about the French) is that in Germany it's disrespectful to use 'Sie' with your parents (you're in a way then distancing yourself from them). In Holland some parents require it from their kids (not everyone, but even now I still know people who do use this). The Dutch equivalent of 'duzen' is 'tutoyeren', which I think is taken from the French. Meaning it would be 'tutoyer' in French? There's also the opposite 'vousvoyeren'. In Dutch we have kind of the same thing: ‘jij’ as the familiarity ‘you’ and ‘u’ as the more formal one. (sidenote: extremely annoying for an English speaking kid to learn, when do you ‘know’ somebody well enough to use the less formal term?).

The difference between the Dutch and the German though (not sure about the French) is that in Germany it’s disrespectful to use ‘Sie’ with your parents (you’re in a way then distancing yourself from them). In Holland some parents require it from their kids (not everyone, but even now I still know people who do use this).

The Dutch equivalent of ‘duzen’ is ‘tutoyeren’, which I think is taken from the French. Meaning it would be ‘tutoyer’ in French? There’s also the opposite ‘vousvoyeren’.

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