Formal you
Lei
We've already seen that
lei
means
she
. But
Lei
is also used to be polite when talking to just one person.
In general, you'll use
tu
in friendly conversations or with children; use
Lei
in more formal situations or when talking to adults you don't know.
Lavoro per Lei.
I work for you.
Scusi, chi è Lei?
Excuse me, who are you?
Notice that the
verb
form for
lei
is the same whether you want to say
you
or
she
. Usually, though,
L
ei
is spelled with a capital
L
when it means
you
.
Sì, lei
è
molto più alta di me.
Yes, she is much taller than me.
Sì,
L
ei
è
molto professionale.
Yes, you are very professional.
La prego di entrare
To ask for something very politely, you can use the expressions
La prego di
and
La preghiamo di
followed by an
infinitive
.
La prego di arrivare presto.
Please arrive early.
La preghiamo di venire con noi.
Please come with us.
These expressions are especially common in written Italian.
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