¿y tú?
/ʝ ˈtu/word by word
The English phrase "how about you?" is translated into Spanish as ¿y tú?
This phrase is a question used to ask someone for their opinion or status after you have shared your own.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is literally "and you".
Which one should you use?
¿y tú? is the informal way to say "and you?", whereas ¿y usted? is the formal version.
Is it said differently in some regions?
¿y vos? is used instead of ¿y tú? in certain countries like Argentina, Uruguay and parts of Central America.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʝ ˈtu/
Did you know?
- The word tú is a distant relative of the archaic English word 'thou'. Both descend from the same prehistoric ancestor word in the Proto-Indo-European language family.
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, switching from ¿y usted? to ¿y tú? during a conversation is a social signal called 'tutear'. It marks a deliberate shift toward intimacy or a closer friendship.
- Depending on the country, the intonation of ¿y tú? can be used sarcastically to mean 'look who is talking'. This mirrors the English use of 'and you?' when pointing out a hypocrisy.
Examples in context
- Yo estoy bien, ¿y tú?I am well, and you?
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are greeting each other at school.
- SofíaHola Javier, yo estoy cansada, ¿y tú?Hello Javier, I am tired, how about you?
- JavierYo también estoy muy cansado, Sofía.I am also very tired, Sofía.
- SofíaNecesitamos dormir más esta noche.We need to sleep more tonight.
- JavierTienes razón, voy a dormir temprano.You are right, I am going to sleep early.
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.
