Hello Everyone,
Today, I would like to discuss the polite forms we use when speaking to people. Specifically, I am referring to the formal and informal ways we converse.
In Italian, we have the “tu” form and the “lei” form. What do I mean by these?
When we talk with someone we know or are related to, we use the “tu” form. When we talk to someone we do not know, an older person, or an authority figure, we use the “lei” form, which is considered a form of respect:
Formal: Mi scusi, lei sa che ore sono? (Excuse me, do you know what time it is?)
Informal: Come stai? (How are you?)
Let’s see how this works in the other four languages I know.
In Spanish, they have the “tú” form and the “usted” form, and they use them exactly like the Italians:
Formal: Usted sabe dónde se encuentra la farmacia? (Do you know where the pharmacy is?)
Informal: Sabes tú qué hicieron ayer? (Do you know what they did yesterday?)
In Portuguese, they use the “tu” form and the “você” form in Portugal, while in Brazil they mainly use just the “você” form:
Informal: Te quero (I love you)
Formal: Quero você (I love you)
But what about English? They have only the “you” form now. English once had a “thee” form, which dates back to Early Modern English. “Thou” was used for the subject, “thee” for the object, and “thy/thine” for the possessive. Although they use “you” for everyone today, they add “Madam” or “Sir” to indicate politeness:
Formal: I love thee (very old form) Informal: I love you
Formal: Thou worked all day long (very old form) Informal: You worked all day long
Formal: Thine dog is smart (very old form) Informal: Your dog is smart
Today: How are you, Sir?/ How are you, my friend? (Notice the difference?)
Finally, we have Norwegian, which now uses just the “du” form. Seventy years ago, they had the “De” form. Norwegians used “Herr” (Mr.) and “Frøken/Fru” (Miss/Mrs.), but they no longer do so, except perhaps with the Royal family. Today, they use the first name and last name at the first meeting and then just the first name in subsequent interactions:
Formal: De er vakker fru Hanne (old form) Informal: Du er vakker Hanne (today)
It is important to know these distinctions, especially when working with Norwegian-Italian interpretation or speaking in Italian, Spanish, or Portuguese. It can be challenging to remember to distinguish between both forms, as Norwegian always uses “du“, but Italian does not. When working for an Italian client conversing with a Norwegian professional, I have to use the “lei” form for the Italian customer. This means being proficient in my job and using the formal way with the Italian customer, while the “du” form is acceptable with the Norwegian person.
Curious, isn’t it?
Gregorace Translations 