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Monsieur, vous êtes très sévère.

Monsieur, vous êtes très sévère.
Sir, you are very strict.
From Lesson 6:Formal and informal you (tu vs. vous)·French

Breakdown of Monsieur, vous êtes très sévère.

être
to be
très
very
vous
you (plural/formal)
Monsieur
sir
sévère
strict

Questions & Answers about Monsieur, vous êtes très sévère.

Why do we use vous if we are only talking to one man?
This is the formal 'you'. Because we are respectfully addressing a Monsieur (Sir), we use vous instead of the informal tu. You use this for people you don't know well, elders, or in professional settings, even if it's just one person.
Since vous usually means 'you all', why doesn't the adjective sévère have an -s at the end for plural?
Even though vous takes the plural verb form êtes, adjectives must match the actual number of people you are describing. Since we are addressing one single Monsieur, the adjective sévère stays singular.
Why is the verb êtes used instead of es?
Verbs must always match their subject pronoun. Once you decide to use the formal vous, you must use the vous form of the verb être (to be), which is êtes. You cannot mix the formal vous with the informal tu verb form es.
Does the word sévère mean 'severe' like a severe storm?
It can, but when describing a person's character, it usually means 'strict' or 'harsh'. So a teacher or parent who enforces lots of rules is sévère.
Do I pronounce the -s in vous êtes?
Yes, you pronounce it like a 'z'! Normally the s at the end of vous is silent, but because êtes starts with a vowel, the s connects to it. This connection is called a liaison, making the phrase sound like 'voo-zet'.

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