tú eliges
/tu elixes/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "you choose" is said as tú eliges.
This phrase is used to tell someone that they have the power to make a decision.
Which one should you use?
tú eliges is the informal way to say "you choose", used with friends, family or peers. In contrast, Usted elige is a formal way to say "you choose". If you are addressing a group of people, you would say ustedes eligen to tell them they have the power to make a decision.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb form elige is also used for the third-person singular (he/she chooses) (él/ella elige).
Did you know?
- The pronoun tú shares a common ancestor with the archaic English word 'thou', making them distant linguistic cousins.
- While tú eliges is the standard way to say 'you choose', Spanish speakers often use the phrase como quieras (as you wish) to express the same sentiment with a slightly more passive or indifferent tone.
- In many parts of Latin America, if you want to say 'you choose' to a group, you would almost always use ustedes eligen, whereas in parts of Spain, people might use vosotros elegís instead.
Examples in context
- Usted elige, le aseguro que ambas son excelentes.You choose, I assure you both options are excellent.
- Tú eliges, estoy abierto a cualquier opción.You choose, I'm open to any option.
- Tú eliges el color del coche.You choose the color of the car.
- Si quieres ir al cine, tú eliges la película.If you want to go to the movies, you choose the movie.
- No te preocupes, tú eliges el restaurante.Don't worry, you choose the restaurant.
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are deciding what to eat for dinner.
- Sofía¿Quieres pizza o pasta?Do you want pizza or pasta?
- JavierNo lo sé, tú eliges.I don't know, you choose.
- SofíaEstá bien, vamos a comer pizza.Fine, let's go eat pizza.
- JavierPerfecto, me parece bien.Perfect, that sounds good to me.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tú, CC BY-SA 4.0.
