yo
/ˈʝo/
The Spanish word for the English pronoun 'I' is yo.
yo is a personal pronoun. It is used to emphasize the subject in a sentence.
Meaning: personal pronoun (pron)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The pronoun yo is often omitted in Spanish because the verb conjugation already indicates the subject. Used for emphasis or to contrast with another person.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈʝo/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking regions, if you use yo too frequently in conversation, you may sound unintentionally arrogant or narcissistic.
- In Spanish, the pronoun yo is never capitalized unless it starts a sentence, unlike the English 'I' which is always capitalized.
- The Spanish word yo shares the exact same Latin ancestor as the English word 'I', which is the Classical Latin 'egō'.
Examples in context
- Yo sí te amo.I do love you.This sentence is useful for seeing how yo can be used to express a strong feeling of love.Tatoeba #1246286 by marcelostockle, translation #71454 by CK
- Yo no vi nada.I saw nothing.This sentence shows the use of yo in a negative statement about seeing something.Tatoeba #497573 by Shishir, translation #256395 by CK
- Yo no lo hice.I did not do it.This sentence demonstrates using yo to state that one did not perform an action.Tatoeba #625873 by Leono, translation #625872 by Leono
- 1953 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Alejandro are deciding who will pay for the coffee.
- LucíaYo pago el café hoy.I will pay for the coffee today.
- AlejandroNo es necesario, Lucía.It's not necessary, Lucía.
- LucíaNo, yo quiero invitarte.No, I want to invite you.
- AlejandroMuchas gracias, entonces.Thank you very much, then.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I” translations and entries yo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries yo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
