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How to Say ‘To address someone with 'tu'’ in Italian

Dare del tu

DAH-reh dehl too

[DAH-reh dehl too]

💬 Usage Tip: The polite version is dare del Lei "to address someone formally". You'll often hear the invitation Diamoci del tu "Let's use tu".

🇮🇹 In Italy: With in-laws, keep using Lei until they invite you to switch. Once they do, carrying on with Lei can feel distant.

Phrase Breakdown

Dare

[DAH-reh]

to give

Verb 'to give'; 'dare del tu' means to address someone informally.

Example

Possiamo darci del tu?

Can we use 'tu' with each other?

del

[dehl]

the (in 'dare del tu')

Part of the fixed phrase 'dare del tu', to use the informal 'tu'.

Example

Possiamo darci del tu?

Can we use 'tu' with each other?

tu

[too]

you

Informal singular pronoun used when speaking directly to one person.

Example

E tu, in che settore lavori?

And you, what field do you work in?

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