• “What’s up?” Formal vs. Informal Language Use

    In most European languages there is usually a formal and informal version of the personal pronoun “you”. For example, in German “Du” can be replaced by “Sie” and in Hungarian “Te” or “Ti” can be replaced by “Ön” or “Önök”. Some people consider the wrong usage as being rude and irreverent. However, in today’s fast-paced society informal language seems to become the norm as nobody seems to have time for politeness. The question gives itself: When does language become too casual? Is casual language a bad language? Who decides?

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