Switching Between तू and तुम

Level 5Sounds Like tū a'ura tuma kai adalā-badalī

Moving from तुम to तू can show sudden closeness or anger.

How It Works

Awadhi has three ways to say "you". Speakers use the choice to show feeling.

PronounCommandFeel
आपबइठिएrespectful
तुमचुप रहौfriendly, normal
तूचुप रहvery close, or sharp

Between close friends, तू can be a sign of love. In a fight, a sudden तू says the speaker has lost patience. The same word, two feelings; the tone of voice tells which.

The verb changes too. With तू the command is the bare stem, the present uses अहस, and the past ends in -इस.

Do not call a stranger or an elder तू. It is a clear sign of rudeness.

Examples (4)

  1. तुम चुप रहौ।

    Please keep quiet.

    तुम is the friendly everyday form.

  2. तू चुप रह!

    You, be quiet!

    तू with the bare stem is sharp.

  3. तू हमार पक्का दोस्त अहस, तोहसे का छिपाब?

    You're my best friend; what would I hide from you?

    तू can show warmth between close friends.

  4. तू कहाँ रहिस अब तक?

    Where have you been all this time?

    तू with रहिस sounds angry here.

Common Mistakes

  • Using तू with a respected elder.

    चाचा जी, तू कहाँ जात अहस?
    चाचा जी, आप कहाँ जात अहैं?

    तू is for very close people. Use आप with elders.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Switching Between तू and तुमLevel 5

Learn This First

The switch shows in the command forms of तू and तुम.

Words in This Pattern

तूतुमआप