How to Say “You” in Spanish

Ways to say it

These pronouns are used to address the person being spoken to. Depending on your choice of pronoun, you may also use related verbs like ustedear or vosear, which mean to address someone using the specific formal or regional form of 'you'.

Which one should you use?

While tú, vos and usted all mean 'you' (singular), they differ in their level of familiarity and regional usage.

Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?

The choice of pronoun depends on your relationship with the listener. Tú is the general informal way to say 'you', used for friends, family members or people your own age. In contrast, usted is the most common formal way to say 'you' and should be used to address someone with respect, such as a stranger, an elder or a person in a position of authority.

Is it said differently in some regions?

The usage of these pronouns varies by location. In some Latin American countries, such as Argentina and Uruguay, vos is used instead of tú. In Spain, when addressing a group of people informally, speakers use vosotros for males and vosotras for females.

Related words

The individual or group spoken/written to (det): tú, vos, usted.

To address using the more formal second-person pronoun (verb): ustedear, vosear.

How does it change in a sentence?

When addressing a group of people, use ustedes in Latin America. In Spain, you can use both vosotros and ustedes depending on the level of formality required.

How do you pronounce it?

/ˈtu/

What mistakes should you avoid?

When choosing between tú and usted, remember that you must also change the verb conjugation to match the pronoun's formality.