¿Ustedes hablan inglés?
The phrase "do you guys speak english?" in Spanish is ¿Ustedes hablan inglés?
This phrase is used to ask a group of people if they have the ability to communicate in English.
Which one should you use?
In Spain, when addressing a group of people informally, you would typically use the form ¿Habláis inglés? instead of the Latin American ¿Ustedes hablan inglés?
Is it said differently in some regions?
The phrase ¿Ustedes hablan inglés? is commonly used in Latin America. In Spain, the form ¿Habláis inglés? is the standard way to address a group informally.
How does it change in a sentence?
In many Spanish-speaking regions, it is common to omit the pronoun ustedes and simply use the verb form hablan to ask the same question, as seen in ¿Hablan inglés?
Did you know?
- Spanish is one of the few languages where the word for the English language, inglés, was borrowed from Old French rather than directly from English.
- If you use the vosotros form in Latin America, listeners might think you are reciting a historical novel or pretending to be from Spain.
- If you use the word inglés to refer to a person in Spanish, it is not capitalized, unlike the English 'English'.
Examples in context
- ¿Disculpe, hablan ustedes inglés?Excuse me, do you guys speak English?
- ¡Hola! ¿Hablan inglés?Hi! Do you guys speak English?
Example conversation
María approaches Mateo and his friends at a park.
- MaríaHola, ¿ustedes hablan inglés?Hello, do you guys speak English?
- MateoSí, un poco.Yes, a little.
- María¡Qué bueno! ¿Pueden ayudarme?That's great! Can you help me?
- MateoClaro, dime.Sure, tell me.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries inglés, ustedes, CC BY-SA 4.0.
