With a culture that's so steeped in respect for your elders, tutear in Spanish is something we can't translate easily into English. 

So, what does it mean?

Tutear means “to address informally” or “to address as tú”. In Spain, it is considered disrespectful and rude when a younger person addresses an elderly person with tú instead of usted, the formal way of saying “you” in Spanish.

The following examples will give you a clearer idea:

• En España, se considera una falta de respeto tutear a las personas mayores.

       In Spain it is considered rude to address elderly people informally.

• Yo siempre tuteo a mis amigos, pero no a mis padres.

       I always address my friends informally, but not my parents.

• No me tutees, háblame de usted..

      Don't address me as “tú”, use usted.

Pronunciation

Too-teh-ar                                                                                                                            

Check out our other word of the day posts

This word of the day has been contributed by LAE Madrid, the leading Spanish academy in Madrid. Accredited by the Insitituto Cervantes, it offers Spanish courses for all levels and also has Spanish classes for kids and families. Read their blog for more Spanish!