Pronouns and "you"
I, you, he, she: usually left out, with four ways to say "you".
| Spanish | Meaning |
|---|---|
| yo | I |
| tú | you, to a friend |
| usted | you, politely |
| él, ella | he, she |
| nosotros, nosotras | we (nosotras for women only) |
| vosotros, vosotras | you all, to friends, in Spain |
| ustedes | you all |
| ellos, ellas | they (ellas for women only) |
A group of men and women is masculine: nosotros, ellos. Only a group of women or girls is nosotras, ellas.
Usually left out
The verb's ending already says who (The present tense), so the pronoun is usually left out. Say it to stress or contrast, or where the verb alone would be unclear.
- I speak Spanish.
- Are you hungry?
- I work and you rest.
- Who wants coffee? —Me.
There is no word for "it" as a subject: Es interesante "It's interesting", Llueve "It's raining".
Four ways to say "you"
tú is for friends, family, children and people your age in casual settings; usted is for strangers, older people, customers and formal settings. Both mean one person. For several people, Spain uses vosotros among friends and ustedes politely; Latin America uses ustedes for both.
usted and ustedes take the verb forms of "he" and "they", since they began as "your grace" and "your graces": usted habla, ustedes hablan. They're written Ud. and Uds. for short.
- How are you?to a friend
- How are you?politely
- Are you all coming tonight?in Spain, to friends
- Are you all coming tonight?
In Argentina, Uruguay and much of Central America, friends say vos instead of tú, with verb forms of its own: vos hablás, vos tenés, vos sos "you are".
After a preposition
After a preposition, "me" is mí and "you" is ti; the others stay as they are. With con "with", they become conmigo and contigo.
- It's for me.
- I'm thinking of you.
- Are you coming with me?
- I'm going with her.
Cards from this guide
10 cardsEach card asks about one thing this guide teaches, and its back gives the answer with why and an example. They're reviewed with the rest of the Sentences cards.
Why is yo (I) usually left out, as in Hablo español?
The verb's ending already says who: -o is 'I'.
How do you say 'it's interesting'?
Es interesante.
Tú or usted: which do you use with an older stranger?
usted
Which verb form goes with usted?
The 'he, she' form: usted habla.
How do you say 'you all' to a group of friends in Spain?
vosotros (vosotras to women).
How do you say 'you all' to a group of friends in Mexico?
ustedes
Is a group of men and women ellos or ellas?
ellos
In Argentina, which word do friends use instead of tú?
vos, with verb forms of its own: vos tenés.
What does 'me' become after a preposition like para (for)?
mí: para mí.
How do you say 'with me' and 'with you'?
conmigo and contigo.