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There are in fact FOUR 'you' words in Spanish (though only two in French), because the 'you' pronoun can be used in singular ('tú' in Spanish in both languages, though pronounced differently) or plural ('vosotros/as' in Spanish; 'vous' in French) forms.

There is also an informal/formal aspect. 'Tú' is used in both languages for informal relationships (family, friends, lovers, etc.); 'vous' in French for formal relationships (bosses, customers, older persons, etc.) whether singular or plural. 'Vosotros/as' (= male/female 'you') is used in Spanish for informal relationships in the plural.

There are additional words in Spanish for formal relationships: 'usted' in the singular; 'ustedes' in the plural.

There are no equivalent forms in English: 'you' can be singular, plural, formal, informal. The shades of meaning in French and Spanish have to be understood and expressed in other ways: physical/psychological/social attitude, forms of address, manner of speech.

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Q: Why are there two words to mean 'you' in french and spanish?
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French or Spanish?

Answer: While Spanish has more total speakers, French has a wider distribution of speakers around the globe and is spoken on every continent. French is easier to learn than Spanish; the latter has more irregular verbs, four words that mean 'you', two words that mean 'for', etc. French also sounds nicer.


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