Like most European languages, Portuguese has different words for "you", according to the degree of formality that the speaker wishes to show towards the addressee (T-V distinction). In very broad terms, "tu", "você" (both meaning singular "you") and "vocês" (plural "you") are used in informal situations, while in formal contexts "o senhor", "a senhora", "os senhores" and "as senhoras" (masculine singular, feminine singular, masculine plural, and feminine plural "you", respectively) are preferred. However, there is considerable regional variation in the use of these terms, and more specific forms of address are sometimes employed.