There are many different ways to say you in Spanish!
Each type has its own rules and regulations. Ever seen a star shape, with its five pointy bits? Every pointy bit resembles a way to say you in Spanish: tú, usted, ustedes, vos and vosotros. It is said that we, as in you, are made of stardust. So if you forget, just look up at the stars!
Learning how to say you in Spanish is important if you want to say stuff like ”How are you?” in Spanish. In this article, we will be discussing these five ways to say you, and how to use them!
Table of Contents
Differentiate the Types of ‘You’ in Spanish
As mentioned with the stars, there are five ways to address people and ”you” in Spanish: tú, usted, ustedes, vos and vosotros. Each word has a different function, which depends on who you are talking to, how many people, and if the situation is formal or informal.
As such, there is a singular and plural form of “you” used in formal situations, and the same goes for informal. Mixing them up will cause you to sound rather… funny. Luckily, this is not hard to memorize.
This is summarized in the table below:
| Form | Subject |
|---|---|
| Singular Form – Formal | usted |
| Singular Form – Informal | tú |
| Singular Form – Formal / Informal | vos |
| Plural Form – Formal | ustedes |
| Plural Form – Informal | vosotros |
Informal vs Formal ‘You’ in Spanish
‘You’ in Spanish Rules
To figure out if you should use the informal or formal version of “you” in Spanish, you must look at the person you are speaking to. Their age, social (You wouldn’t use the informal “you” on the president, or your boss), and relationship status (are they strangers, a friend, or an acquaintance?).
If you are panicked and not quite sure which one to use, stick to the more formal one.
Formal ‘You’ in Spanish
The formal version of “you” in Spanish is usted (singular, one person) and ustedes (plural, two or more people). You use this version with bosses, strangers, officials, someone of higher status, or someone who is respected. This includes scenarios like going for an interview, reporting to your boss, meeting someone for the first time, or talking with elderly people.
Informal ‘You’ in Spanish
The informal version of “you” in Spanish is tú (singular, one person) and vosotros (plural, two or more people). You use this version with family members, friends, pets, or children. When you speak to friends or address family, simple and casual moments with the ones you are comfortable with.
5 Ways to Use ‘You’ Correctly
Now let’s discuss the uses for each type of Spanish ‘you’! You can use these different types of “you” with normal or hard Spanish words and/or with Spanish question words. Testing if you know these concepts is a great way to keep track of where you are in Spanish, especially conversational Spanish fluency.
Usted (Singular & Formal)
When you are talking to just one person. As mentioned above, this phrase is formal, so you use it when speaking to someone older than you, a stranger, or someone of higher social status (such as your boss). Usted is the version to stick to if you are unsure of which form to use unless stated otherwise by the person you are speaking to.
Example sentences:
-
¿Son ustedes los que perdieron un perro?
(Are you the ones who lost the dog?)
-
Mantenga una botella de agua con usted durante el día.
(Keep a bottle of water with you during the day.)
-
Mi esposa tiene un montón de preguntas para usted.
(My wife has a lot of questions for you.)
Tú (Singular & Informal)
Similar to usted in that you use it with a singular person, but tú is more informal. So you can use this when speaking with people that you a comfortable with, such as friends, pets, family, or someone that is the same age/younger than you. Remember the accent mark ú on tú, without it, (tu) it means “your” in Spanish.
Example sentences:
-
¿Tú has estado allí?
(You’ve been there?)
-
¿Entonces tú vives aquí y él vive en Londres?
(So you live here and he lives in London?)
-
¿Qué opinas tú?
(What do think?)
-
¡Tú eres la persona que más feliz me hace!
(You’re the person who makes me the happiest!)
Also, there are a whole bunch of Spanish nicknames that you can give your friends and family!
Vos (Singular & Formal / Informal)
In most places, mainly in Latin America and not in Spain, instead of differentiating between formal and informal, only vos is used when talking to someone. This basically replaces usted and tú. As such, this can be used in any situation and with anyone.
Examples sentences:
-
Vos sos una chica hermosa
(You are a beautiful girl!)
Did you know that besides Hermosa, there are many different ways to say beautiful in Spanish?
-
Vos que haces?
(What are you doing?)
-
¿Vos sabés dónde está?
(Do you know where it is?)
Ustedes (Plural & Formal)
When you are addressing two or more people in a formal setting. Such as when speaking in a meeting. Mostly used in Latin America.
Examples sentences:
-
Me lo perdí, ¿Ustedes estaban ahí?
(I missed it, were you guys there?)
-
Ustedes saben cuánto lo extraño.
(You guys know, how much I’ve missed him.)
There are many ways to say you miss you in Spanish!
-
¡Todos ustedes tienen que darse prisa!
(You all have to hurry!)
Vosotros (Plural & Informal)
To address a group of people in an informal way, such as a group of friends or family. Very similar to the slang word ya’ll. Spain is basically the only country that uses this version of “you”, but learn it just in case you encounter it somewhere else!
Examples sentences:
-
¿Vosotros vais a la fiesta?
(Are you guys going to the party?)
-
¡Vosotros son mis mejores amigas!
(You guys are my best friends!)
-
¿Vosotros listos, chicos?
(You guys ready?)
Key Takeaway from ‘You’ in Spanish
- There are five forms of you in Spanish; tú, usted, ustedes, vos and vosotros
- They are divided into who you are talking to: formal (usted and ustedes), informal (tú and vosotros), and both (vos).
- They are further divided into how many people you are addressing: singular people (tú, usted and vos) and groups of people (vosotros and ustedes)
¡Eh, tú! ¡Si, tú! ¡Estoy hablando contigo! (Hey, you! Yeah, you! I’m talking to you!)
Knowing how to address people is crucial when learning conversational Spanish. You are talking to someone else, after all! It might seem a bit hard in the beginning, but keep going! You will be comfortable with it in no time.
Being comfortable while speaking a foreign language is key to sounding like a native. Getting an online language tutor at AmazingTalker will lead you to just that. With a bunch of courses about any language topic, you will go from “Um?” to “Ah-hah!” in no time!
Discover the answers to your language-related questions on AmazingTalker’s Q&A page.
