Spanish Personal (Subject) Pronouns
The Spanish Obsessive
Subject pronouns are the words such as “I”, “you”, “he”, etc. They are the “subject”, as they carry out the verb in a sentence (“I kicked the ball” – “I” is the subject). They are also referred to as personal pronouns because they refer to people.
In a nutshell
The Spanish subject pronouns are yo, tú, él, ella, usted, nosotros/as, vosotros/as, ellos/ellas and ustedes. Because the verb ending usually shows who is doing the action, Spanish often leaves them out: “Tengo un carro” (I have a car).
There are four ways to say “you”: tú (informal), usted (formal), vosotros/as (plural, informal – Spain only) and ustedes (plural – the only plural “you” in Latin America).
yotúélellaustednosotrosvosotrosellosellasustedes
First, let’s have a look at the forms of the personal subject pronouns:
| Yo | I |
| Tú | You (informal) |
| Él | He |
| Ella | She |
| Usted | You (formal) |
| Nosotros/as | We |
| Vosotros/as | You (plural, informal) |
| Ustedes | You (plural, formal) |
| Ellos/Ellas | They |
In English, we use our subject pronouns very often, and cannot omit them as they contain crucial information about the subject of the sentence – ie, who is performing the action (compare “I ran home”, to “ran home” – who ran home?).
In Spanish, however, the pronoun is implied by the conjugation of the verb. Verbs are conjugated according to the subject, and as the verb ending usually shows who the subject is, Spanish speakers will often leave out the pronoun, or if they include it this may be for added emphasis:
Tengo un carro → I have a car
Ways of saying “you” in Spanish
Another difficulty for us English speakers is that our “you” can actually mean many different things.
We could be talking to someone well known to us or a complete stranger (Spanish uses a difference in register for this), or we could be talking to one person or a group of people (in fact, some English speakers will often clarify this by saying “you guys”, or “y’all”, etc).
Spanish has different forms of “you” to clarify each of these situations.
Tú and usted
Specific instances of using either “tú” and “usted” vary culturally between different Spanish speaking countries. However, the following guidelines hold true for the majority of the Spanish speaking world:
- Use “tú” for people you know well, such as family, friends, and younger people. This is the informal “you”.
- Use “usted” as a marker of respect. It’s used with older people and people you do not know so well. This is the formal “you”.
In Spain, “tú” is more common than other Spanish speaking countries. It is quite rare to use the form “usted” here, except in formal situations. “Usted” is more common in Latin American countries, and in some regions is actually used more frequently than “tú”.
Don’t worry, though! As a Spanish learner, you are very unlikely to offend people if you get these mixed up, and you’ll soon develop a good sense of which use is most appropriate.
Plural forms
Spanish is also different to English with “ustedes” and “vosotros/as“, which both also translate as “you”! These are the plural forms, used when referring to more than one person. “Ustedes” is formal – used when speaking to a group of people you do not know well, or that you would individually refer to as “usted”. “Vosotros” is specific to Spain, and is the plural form of “tú”.
It’s important to note that almost everywhere outside of Spain does not use “vosotros”. “Ustedes” is used to refer to more than one person, regardless of whether you would use “tú” or “usted” with them individually.
Grab your Fluency Phrasebook
95 essential phrases for beginners, designed to guide you towards fluency. Fluent speakers don’t build sentences word by word: they reach for ready-made phrases. Learn these and you’ll be speaking from day one, picking up the big grammar patterns along the way.
- Starts with the basics, builds step by step
- The big grammar areas, explained simply
- Phrases you’ll hear and use every day
We’ll email you the PDF, plus Spanish tips and news about our courses. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy Statement
Tú, usted and vos around the Spanish-speaking world
Which “you” people use depends a lot on where you are. As a rough guide:
| Where | Informal “you” | Formal “you” | Plural “you” |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | tú | usted | vosotros/as (informal), ustedes (formal) |
| Mexico and most of Latin America | tú | usted | ustedes |
| Argentina and Uruguay | vos | usted | ustedes |
| Central America | vos (and tú) | usted | ustedes |
| Colombia | tú – or usted, even with friends, in many regions | usted | ustedes |
“Vos” has its own verb forms in the present tense and in commands – “vos tenés”, “vos sos”, “vení” – so you’ll notice it straight away in Argentinian or Uruguayan Spanish. If in doubt, “usted” with people you don’t know is never rude.
Gender
Yet another way that Spanish differs to English is the change in pronoun ending for masculine and feminine. This is evident in certain forms, and can be seen by the change in ending:
- “Nosotros” and “nosotras”
- “Vosotros” and “vosotras”
- “Ellos” and “ellas”
- “Él” and “Ella”
In each case (except for “él”), those pronouns ending with “o” are masculine, those ending with “a” are feminine.
For the plural pronouns, if the group referred to is all male, use the masculine ending. If it is all female, use the feminine ending. If it is a mix of male and female, use the masculine ending.
We’ve covered most of the key areas you need to know to start recognising and using personal subject pronouns in Spanish. Keep practising, and enjoy!
Quiz
Test yourself: Spanish subject pronouns
Nine quick questions. Pick an answer to check it – the explanation opens underneath.
Which pronoun means “we” for a group of women?
Answer and explanation
Answer: nosotras
“Nosotras” is the feminine form, used when everyone in the group is female. “Vosotras” means you (plural, in Spain).
In “Tengo un carro”, who has the car?
Answer and explanation
Answer: yo
The ending of “tengo” shows the subject is “yo”, so the pronoun isn’t needed: I have a car.
You’re meeting your new boss in Mexico. Which “you” would you normally use?
Answer and explanation
Answer: usted
“Usted” is the respectful form for people you don’t know well, older people and people in authority.
Which pronoun do people in most of Spain use to talk to a group of friends?
Answer and explanation
Answer: vosotros
In most of Spain the informal plural “you” is “vosotros/as”. (In the Canary Islands and parts of western Andalusia, people use “ustedes”, as in Latin America.)
And to a group of friends in Latin America?
Answer and explanation
Answer: ustedes
Latin America uses “ustedes” for every plural “you”, formal or informal. “Vos” is singular.
Talking about a group of men and women, you say…
Answer and explanation
Answer: ellos
When a group is mixed, Spanish uses the masculine form: “ellos”, “nosotros”, “vosotros”.
Why might someone say “Yo trabajo aquí” rather than just “Trabajo aquí”?
Answer and explanation
Answer: For emphasis or contrast
The verb ending already shows the subject, so adding “yo” gives emphasis or contrast: I work here (not him).
In Argentina, “vos” is used instead of…
Answer and explanation
Answer: tú
“Vos” replaces “tú” as the informal singular “you” in Argentina, Uruguay and much of Central America: “vos tenés”, “vos sos”.
Which word means “he”?
Answer and explanation
Answer: él
The accent matters: “él” is he, while “el” is the article the.
