este soy yo
/este soi ʝo/from spelling rules
The English phrase "this is me" is translated into Spanish as este soy yo.
The phrase este soy yo is used to identify oneself, for example when pointing to a photograph of yourself.
Which one should you use?
The phrase este soy yo uses the verb ser to indicate identity. You should not use este estoy yo, as that would incorrectly imply a temporary location or state.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying este estoy yo to identify yourself, as this implies a temporary state or location rather than your identity. Use este soy yo instead.
When do people say it?
If someone asks ¿Quién es? (Who is it?), you can respond with Soy yo to mean "It is me".
Did you know?
- The pronoun 'yo' is a descendant of the Classical Latin 'ego', making it a linguistic cousin to the English word 'egotistical'.
- While este soy yo works for photos, a Spanish speaker answering a door or a phone would never use este, simply saying soy yo.
- In many Spanish-speaking regions, if you are a woman identifying yourself in a photo, you must change the phrase to esta soy yo to match your gender.
Examples in context
- Este soy yo.This is me.This sentence is useful for seeing how to identify yourself with este soy yo.Tatoeba #3812072 by carlosalberto, translation #3812012 by CM
- En esta foto, este soy yo.In this photo, this is me.
- ¿Ves al niño de la imagen? Este soy yo.Do you see the boy in the image? This is me.
Example conversation
Mateo is showing Sofía an old childhood photograph.
- MateoMira esta foto antigua.Look at this old photo.
- Sofía¿Quién es ese niño?Who is that boy?
- MateoEste soy yo de pequeño.This is me when I was little.
- Sofía¡Qué gracioso te ves!You look so funny!
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries este, soy, yo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
