¿y tú?
/ʝ ˈtu/word by word
The Spanish phrase for "and you? (informal)" is ¿y tú?
This phrase is used as a conversational shortcut to return a question (like 'How are you?' or 'Where are you from?') without repeating the entire sentence.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the conjunction y (and) and the informal singular pronoun tú (you).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, the phrase ¿Y vos? is used instead of ¿Y tú? In Spain, the expression ¿Y tú qué tal? is frequently used to ask "and you, how are things?" informally.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Spanish, questions are typically enclosed by both an opening inverted question mark (¿) and a closing question mark (?).
How do you pronounce it?
/ʝ ˈtu/
Did you know?
- While ¿y tú? is informal, switching to the formal ¿y usted? mid-conversation can be used as a sarcastic way to create sudden distance or signal annoyance.
- The pronoun tú is a direct relative of the English word 'thou', both coming from the same Proto-Indo-European source.
Examples in context
- Espero que todo vaya bien. ¿Y tú, qué cuentas?I hope everything is going well. And you, what's new?
- ¿Qué tal? ¿Y vos, cómo seguís?How's it going? And you, how are you doing?
- ¡Buenas! ¿Cómo estás? ¿Y tú qué tal?Hey! How are you? And how are things with you?
- Yo estoy bien, ¿y tú?I am fine, and you?
Example conversation
Javier and Lucía are talking about their day.
- JavierHola Lucía, yo estoy cansado, ¿y tú?Hi Lucía, I am tired, and you?
- LucíaYo también estoy muy cansada.I am also very tired.
- JavierNecesitamos descansar un poco.We need to rest a bit.
- LucíaTienes toda la razón, Javier.You are totally right, Javier.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (y, tú) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tú, y, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thank you. Much appreciated.