One of the incontestably relevant aspects to the teaching of Portuguese as a Second Language (PL2-E) is the multiplicity of pronouns and forms of address. In relation to the second person, the Portuguese language has a more complex system of address than the dichotomous formal/informal system of many other languages. Therefore, our aim is to describe the use of the pronouns of address o senhor/a senhora vs você through the analysis of the data gathered by means of interviews with native speakers of Brazilian Portuguese. To do so we considered the sociocultural aspects which influence the choice between o senhor/a senhora or você as well as different contexts. We also intended to verify how a possible negotiation of address occurs. The concepts from Interactional Sociolinguistics, Cultural Anthropology and Interculturalism were of paramount importance to this research. Finally, it was concluded that there is a tendency towards the minimization of power and distance in interpersonal relationships, leading to intimacy and informality, which explains the more frequent use of você in comparison with o senhor/a senhora.