somos nosotros
/somos nosotɾos/from spelling rules
The English phrase "this is us" is translated into Spanish as somos nosotros.
A phrase used to identify a group of people as the ones being referred to or seen.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the first-person plural verb somos (we are) and the stressed pronoun nosotros (we/us).
Which one should you use?
While English uses "this is" to identify a group, Spanish uses the plural verb somos (we are) to match the subject.
How does it change in a sentence?
If the group being identified consists entirely of females, the pronoun changes to the feminine nosotras.
How do you pronounce it?
/somos nosotɾos/
Did you know?
- The word nosotros literally translates to 'us others', combining the pronoun nos with the word for 'others'.
- In a mixed-gender group, the masculine nosotros is always used, even if there is only one male among many females.
- In many Spanish-speaking regions, using nosotros instead of just somos adds a strong layer of emphasis, often used to clarify 'it is us and not someone else'.
Examples in context
- Esto es lo que somos, una familia unida.This is us, a close-knit family
- ¡Míranos en la foto! Somos nosotros.Look at us in the photo! It's us.
- En la foto, somos nosotros.In the photo, this is us.
- ¿Quiénes son ellos? Somos nosotros.Who are they? It's us.
- Si buscas al equipo, somos nosotros.If you are looking for the team, this is us.
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena are looking at an old family album.
- Mateo¿Quiénes son los niños en esta foto?Who are the children in this photo?
- ElenaMira bien, somos nosotros de pequeños.Look closely, this is us as children.
- Mateo¡Es verdad! No nos reconocí.It's true! I didn't recognize us.
- ElenaÉramos muy diferentes antes.We were very different before.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries nosotros, somos, CC BY-SA 4.0.
