Tintin llama à Haddock "Usted"

Question

Porque en el serie de televisión, Tintin llama à Haddock "Usted"?

Me parece muy raro. Podés lo escuchar al principio de este video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WPDFPJIZBc&feature=channel&list=UL

Tim

Typos: ' a ' , 'podéis' . - annierats, Nov 17, 2012

Podés is not a typo. But I think in this case he meant podéis. - Azabache, Nov 17, 2012

Pues... unas correcciones son "la serie" (femenino) - "por qué" (why) en vez de "porque" (because) - "Podés escucharlo al principio de este vídeo" - QFour, Nov 18, 2012

Answer 1

Tintin's native language is French, and his 'father', the Brussels born Belgian comics writer and artist Hergé spoke French. Which means that you have to use the 'vous'-form for older people and strangers. 'Tu' is in fact very familiar and is used for people you can call by their first name, whereas Haddock is addressed as captain Haddock.

Hergé 's language is more sophisticated than it looks at first sight and he is not beyond making jokes either. In King Ottokar's Sceptre, f.i., the imaginary Syldavian language is based on the Marolien, a Brussels dialect that is a mixture of French and Dutch. The Syldavian motto '"Eih bennek, eih blavek" is a clear example of this and can be understood as 'Here I am and here I stay'.

Answer 2

So does Tintin call Captain Haddock "monsieur" in the original French? If so, look no further.

Haddock is not just some 'monsieur', he is 'capitaine Haddock ' ;-) - Castor77, Nov 17, 2012

I think I already referred to him as Captain Haddock - my point is that I would automatically use "usted" for a "monsieur". No "monsieur" is "just some" these days, it is, even more than formerly, thought of as a term of respect. - geofc, Nov 19, 2012

Answer 3

Mi pregunta es ¿por qué no? Me pareció que estaba hablando con un hombre de mayor edad y su superior. Dice "¿Le ha gustado la película capitán?" Me parece normal, aunque no soy hablante nativo del español.

Buena respuesta. - annierats, Nov 17, 2012