soy yo
/soi ʝo/from spelling rules
The phrase "it is me" in Spanish is translated as soy yo.
You use soy yo to identify yourself, most commonly when someone asks ¿Quién es? (Who is it?).
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the first-person singular form of the verb ser (to be) and the first-person singular pronoun yo (I), which literally translates to "I am I".
How does it change in a sentence?
While English uses the object pronoun "me" in this construction, Spanish uses the subject pronoun yo after the verb ser.
Did you know?
- The pronoun yo in soy yo is a descendant of the Classical Latin egō̆, the same root that gave English the word 'ego'.
- Spanish distinguishes between two types of 'to be', and soy yo uses ser because your identity is viewed as an unchanging essence.
- In Spanish, you can simply say soy to mean 'it is me' without adding the pronoun yo. Because the verb ending already identifies the speaker, adding yo often serves to add emphasis or contrast.
Examples in context
- ¿Quién es?Who is it?
- No te preocupes, soy yo.Don't worry, it is me.
- ¡Abre la puerta, soy yo!Open the door, it is me!
Example conversation
Alejandro is at the front door of Sofía's apartment.
- Sofía¿Quién llama a estas horas?Who is calling at this hour?
- AlejandroSoy yo, Alejandro.It is me, Alejandro.
- Sofía¡Ah! Pasa, Alejandro.Ah! Come in, Alejandro.
- AlejandroGracias, Sofía.Thank you, Sofía.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries soy, yo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
