'Tu' vs 'Aap': One Tweet Triggers Viral Thread On Social Media

A tweet from a user about how Mumbai people greet strangers has led to a full-blown war on social media. The user @PratPanc posted the tweet nearly two weeks ago, but the debate went on for days. In her tweet, the user said she found it disrespectful when strangers referred to her as 'tu' instead of 'aap' calling it "unacceptable behaviour". Users have posted a barrage of comments, arguing either sides, while others have posted hilarious memes on the topic.

"Never engage with Bombay people in Hindi. You could be complete strangers and they'll still feel free to address you with a 'Tu'. Unacceptable behaviour," the woman tweeted on February 5.

The woman further said that Marathi-speaking people refer to their mothers and grandmothers as 'tu', but not their fathers of grandfathers. "They understand the concept of respect but their respect is reserved for men," her tweet said.

Reactions immediately followed with her tweet receiving more than 1,000 responses and over a million views. It also kicked of a debate on appropriate use of pronouns in Hindi.

"It's a cultural shock to many but it's normal for them. You can't judge people by the parameters of the culture you are accustomed to. You should know by now that they don't mean to disrespect and that's just their understanding of Hindi," said one user.

"In this sense, a British should never interact with an American in English. Hindi was never the regional language in Maharashtra. The state where Marathi was and will be the most used language. We never come to Delhi and ask you to speak perfect Marathi. Ridiculous behaviour," commented another.

Some users, however, agreed with the woman. "I had the biggest culture shock when I heard my Mumbai and gujju friends refer their mom as tu," commented one of them.

Many users informed the woman that 'tu' in Marathi doesn't have a rude connotation to it, instead it is used lovingly. "You've drawn conclusions without understanding Marathi... Tu denotes emotional connection, its expresses Love for Mom. Tumhi denotes respectful connection. It expresses responsibility of Dad. Love &responsibility forms family! Btw I'm Gujarati bought up in MH & I love Marathi," said one user. 

Others posted hilarious memes in response to the tweet.

north indians when atif aslam sings tu jaane na instead of aap jaane na pic.twitter.com/PEzJAL6O0c

— gordon (@gordonramashray) February 7, 2023

True Story - North Indians refer to the 90s classic "Tu tu main main" as "Aap Aap main main" pic.twitter.com/EtzL9tujw4

— Apoorva (@apoorva_42) February 8, 2023

Hindi is spoken by most of the people in North India. It has several dialects and the use of pronouns varies according to region.