Attention de ne pas vous brûler and je te félicite

Question

There are clearly only two participants in this conversation, who are at least friends, if not relatives. Should it not be:  Attention de ne pas te brûler  ?

Accepted Answer

Hi Ian,
Just to add to Maarten's excellent answer, this is a dictation exercise and the author has decided what the relationship between the two speakers is and we have to accept what is said.
Bonne Continuation !

Answer

Could it be son and mother?

Answer

Ian, we don't definitively know their relationship to each other, but the fact that he uses "vous' to her, indicates that he is maintaining formality towards her, and does not 'tutoyer' her. Knowing each other, or even being related, does not automatically mean that both parties 'tutoyer'.

It 'could' be 'tu' if acceptable to both, and the fact that it is not informs that he has a socially respectful relationship towards her. It is not unusual for there to be 'inequality' in this regard in a number of situations.

I guess it could be an 'error' in the writing, but it would be extremely unusual for French native speakers to get 'tu' and 'vous' confused !

Cécile’s comprehensive discussion below :

https://french.kwiziq.com/revision/lessons/saying-tu-or-vous-that-is-the-question

Also worth having a look at the link below from Laura Lawless

https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/subject-pronouns-tu-vs-vous/

and from Camille on French Today

https://www.frenchtoday.com/blog/french-grammar/you-in-french/