Who spoke a language with formal and

[Archaea]

informal yous?

And if you did, what level were you to use with your assigned companion?

In Germany, we used the formal form. I believe the same is true in France.

I'm not certain of Spanish speaking countries, as I use Usted usually.

What level of honorifics do they use in Japan? Do you use informal, formal or o-honorific with companions?

Austranesian languages don't make that distinction.

What about Russian, Hungarian or Slavic or Ugric languages?

[MikeWaters]

have you ever watched Larry David in Curb Your Enthusiasm? He has a comedy routine based on this very question.

[El Guapo]

Originally Posted by Archaea

informal yous?

And if you did, what level were you to use with your assigned companion?

In Germany, we used the formal form. I believe the same is true in France.

I'm not certain of Spanish speaking countries, as I use Usted usually.

What level of honorifics do they use in Japan? Do you use informal, formal or o-honorific with companions?

Austranesian languages don't make that distinction.

What about Russian, Hungarian or Slavic of Ugric languages?

You mean like "dude" v. "Elder?" Californians tended to go with "bro."

Slavic of Ugric languages? Are you needing an answer for "Incredibly Obscure Missionary Jeopardy?"

[Faith]

In Japan we used informal with companions, but formal with members and everyone else.

[Archaea]

How formal, just plain formal, or the O honorific. Or is that out of style except in political and formal business settings?

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by El Guapo

You mean like "dude" v. "Elder?" Californians tended to go with "bro."

Slavic of Ugric languages? Are you needing an answer for "Incredibly Obscure Missionary Jeopardy?"

No, but that one rule always bothered me. Why did I have to speak to my companion as if he were a total stranger. That and why they didn't let me make out with this totally cute singer who I met two days before my departure date. That always bugged me that Elder Forrest and I couldn't have a genuinely good time before we left for good.

[creekster]

In Quebec we tu/toi-ed just about everyone. I never had any native French speaking companions; All my cnadian companions were from Western Canda and several of them had to be convinced to simply talk to the 'Quois without ridiculing them. They certaoinly didn't care about tu/vous issues. I only vous-ed person much older or when in more formal settings. I did ask a few native Quebecois about it and they always seemed to minimize the importance of being formal. This was almost 30 years ago, btw.

[Faith]

Originally Posted by Archaea

How formal, just plain formal, or the O honorific. Or is that out of style except in political and formal business settings?

I don't know if things have changed - it has been over 10 years since my mission, but generally, with members, we used plain formal. As a rule we used O honorific with anyone we didn't know and with investigators. As we created relationships we then adjusted our language to match theirs .

People always seemed impressed and flattered when we used the O honorific.

[Surfah]

I was Spanish speaking stateside. Neither of my MP's spoke it so there were no mission guidelines. Out of respect though and custom I used the formal when talking with members and investigators, but would use tu form when speaking to children and the occasional hot muchacha.

Our MP didn't counsel us much on language, but his wife instructed us to refer to the D&C by it's full name and not the acronym. She was a nurse and was used to D&C meaning something altogether different.

I do remember calling my companion by his first name in a game of basketball. I didn't even realize what I had said, but everyone there busted up laughing.

In the MTC our branch president was a bit weird. He said our language should be yea, yea or nay, nay. He listed all of the innappropriate names...stud, dude, hell's bells, by George, etc. It was hilarious.

The hardest thing for me was to go between English and Spanish as I would often get into a Spanish mindset and think in that language. When I would have to speak English I would have a brain fart. For example one time while tracting we are in this predominantly Hispanic neighborhood only to find this crusty old white guy who yelled at us. Thinking in Spanish I apologized and said that I was sorry for molesting him. Molestar in Spanish means to annoy. Needless to say he gave me the most puzzled "What the F-?" look I have ever seen and my companion was in stitches.

[El Guapo]

Originally Posted by Archaea

No, but that one rule always bothered me. Why did I have to speak to my companion as if he were a total stranger. That and why they didn't let me make out with this totally cute singer who I met two days before my departure date. That always bugged me that Elder Forrest and I couldn't have a genuinely good time before we left for good.

I don't think we need to know about your desires to have a genuinely good time with Elder Forrest...