¿y tú?
/ʝ ˈtu/word by word
The English abbreviation 'wbu' can be expressed in Spanish as ¿y tú? in its default form.
This phrase is used to ask the same question back to the other person, acting as the Spanish equivalent to the English 'what about you' or 'wbu'. It is the standard way to flip a question back to someone in a conversation.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the conjunction y (and) and the pronoun tú (you).
Which one should you use?
While 'wbu' is an English abbreviation, the Spanish equivalent ¿y tú? is the standard way to flip a question back to someone in conversation.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, ¿Y vos? is used as an informal expression.
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are speaking to someone in a formal context, you should replace tú with the formal pronoun usted to say ¿y usted?
How do you pronounce it?
/ʝ ˈtu/
Did you know?
- The word tú is a distant relative of the archaic English pronoun 'thou'. Both words trace their roots back to the same Proto-Indo-European ancestor.
- The transition from tú to usted in ¿y usted? is not just about politeness but can be used to create emotional distance or show coldness in an argument.
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, responding to ¿y tú? with a simple yo también (me too) is common even if the original question was a 'yes' or 'no' question.
Examples in context
- Me gusta el café. ¿Y tú?I like coffee. And you?
- Yo estoy bien, ¿y tú?I am fine, and what about you?
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are texting about their weekend plans.
- SofíaYo voy al cine mañana, ¿y tú?I am going to the cinema tomorrow, and what about you?
- MateoNo tengo planes todavía.I don't have plans yet.
- Sofía¿Quieres venir conmigo?Do you want to come with me?
- Mateo¡Claro que sí!Of course!
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (y, tú) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tú, y, CC BY-SA 4.0.
