How to Say “You” in Spanish

Ways to say it

These words serve as subject pronouns to address the person being spoken to. The choice of pronoun dictates how you conjugate the verbs that follow. For example, when using tú, verbs are conjugated in the second-person singular form, whereas using usted requires the third-person singular form.

Which one should you use?

The forms differ based on the relationship between the speaker and the listener. tú is used for a familiar level, while usted is used to show respect or maintain social distance. In certain regions, vos is used instead of tú for informal address.

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

tú is informal and used for friends, family and peers. usted is the formal form used for strangers, elders or superiors. To address a group, ustedes is used in Latin America for both formal and informal contexts, while in Spain, vosotros is used for informal groups.

Is it said differently in some regions?

In some Latin American countries, such as Argentina and Uruguay, vos is used instead of tú to address someone informally. To address a group of people, ustedes is used in both Spain and many Latin American countries.

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?

The verb conjugation changes according to the pronoun: tú uses the second-person singular, usted uses the third-person singular and ustedes uses the third-person plural. When addressing a group, the use of ustedes requires third-person plural conjugation.

How do you pronounce it?

/ˈtu/

What mistakes should you avoid?

Be careful not to confuse the subject pronoun tú (you) with the possessive adjective tu (your). The pronoun tú is written with an accent mark, while the possessive tu is not.