soy
/soi/from spelling rules
The English phrase "I am" is translated into Spanish as soy.
Use soy to state your nationality, profession or name (e.g., Soy estadounidense, Soy profesor, Soy Juan). The phrase Soy rápido means I am fast when the speaker is male. The phrase Soy rápida means I am fast when the speaker is female.
Which one should you use?
The form soy is used for permanent or essential characteristics, whereas estoy is used for temporary states or locations.
How does it change in a sentence?
The subject pronoun yo (I) is often omitted because the verb form soy already indicates the first-person singular.
How do you pronounce it?
/soi/
Did you know?
- While soy describes who you are, if you want to say 'I am hungry' or 'I am thirsty', you must use the verb tener (to have) instead. In Spanish, you do not 'be' hungry, you 'have' hunger.
- If you say soy aburrido, you are saying I am boring, but if you use estoy aburrido, it means I am bored.
- The form soy comes from the Latin word sum, but it gained its final 'y' sound due to the influence of other common Spanish verbs like voy and doy.
Examples in context
- Es lo que soy.It's what I am.This sentence shows how to use soy to describe an essential nature.Tatoeba #1875822 by Shishir, translation #1787890 by sadhen
- Yo soy más alto.I am taller.This sentence uses soy to compare a physical characteristic.Tatoeba #886051 by Shishir, translation #251869 by CK
- No sé quién soy.I don't know who I am.This sentence uses soy to refer to one's identity.Tatoeba #1875881 by Shishir, translation #5117753 by CarpeLanam
- Yo soy María.I am María.
- Soy el señor Rodríguez.I am Mr. Rodríguez.
- Yo estoy muy contento de estar aquí.I am very happy to be here.
- Yo soy Juan.I am Juan.
- Soy nueva en esta ciudad.I am new in this city.
- Estoy muy emocionado por el concierto.I am very excited about the concert.
- 763 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Sofía are meeting for the first time at a party.
- AlejandroHola, soy Alejandro.Hello, I am Alejandro.
- SofíaMucho gusto, yo soy Sofía.Nice to meet you, I am Sofía.
- Alejandro¿Eres de aquí, Sofía?Are you from here, Sofía?
- SofíaNo, soy de Madrid.No, I am from Madrid.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries soy, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
