Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| tú | /ˈtu/ | familiar |
| usted | /usˈted/ | polite |
| vos | /ˈbos/ | familiar |
In Spanish, the word for 'you' changes based on whether you are addressing one person or many and whether the relationship is formal or informal. While tú, vos and usted are used for a single person, they all represent the subject pronoun for the person being addressed.
Which one should you use?
The choice between forms depends on the level of respect and the number of people being addressed. Use tú for friends, family and peers. Use usted to show respect or maintain social distance with strangers, elders or superiors. While tú, vos and usted are all singular, ustedes is used when addressing more than one person in Latin America, regardless of formality.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Tú and vos are informal and familiar forms. Usted is the polite and formal way to say 'you'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, vosotros is used as the informal plural form of 'you'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The singular forms include tú, vos and usted. For the plural 'you' in Latin America, ustedes is the only form used, regardless of whether the situation is formal or informal.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtu/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not confuse the subject pronoun tú (you) with the possessive adjective tu (your). The accent mark on the 'u' is what distinguishes the person from the word meaning 'your'.
Did you know?
- The formal 'you', usted, is actually a contraction of the old phrase vuestra merced, which literally meant 'your mercy'.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, switching from usted to tú is a specific social ritual called 'tutear' that signals a new level of intimacy.
- In certain regions, using vos instead of tú changes not just the pronoun but also the conjugation of the verb.
Examples in context
- ¿Y tú qué tal?And you, how are you?This sentence shows how to use tú in a casual greeting.Tatoeba #618944 by Shishir, translation #388264 by Dorenda
- Si yo fuera tú.If I were you.This sentence demonstrates using tú in a conditional expression.Tatoeba #754014 by Shishir, translation #10121564 by DJ_Saidez
- ¿No eres tú Tom?Aren't you Tom?This sentence shows tú being used to identify a specific person.Tatoeba #797225 by Shishir, translation #37392 by CK
- Señor Pérez, ¿cómo está usted?Mr. Pérez, how are you?
- Hola Juan, ¿cómo estás tú?Hi Juan, how are you?
- Buenos días, ¿cómo están ustedes?Good morning, how are you all?
- ¿Cómo estáis, vosotros?How are you all?
- 1762 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Daniel are talking about their favorite movies.
- Lucía¿Y tú, cuál prefieres?And you, which one do you prefer?
- DanielPrefiero la de terror.I prefer the horror one.
- Lucía¿Tú siempre eliges esas?Do you always choose those?
- DanielSí, son mis favoritas.Yes, they are my favorites.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “you” translations and entries tú, usted, vos, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tú, usted, vos, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
