tú
informal singular
Mexican Spanish has three main ways to say "you": tú for friends, family and people your age, usted for respect, and ustedes for more than one person in any situation.
Meaning: second person pronoun (pronoun)
Ways to say it
| Mexican | Note |
|---|---|
| tú | informal singular |
| usted | formal singular |
| ustedes | plural |
Use usted with elders, new clients and officials. Mexicans also use it as a sign of warmth with older relatives, and some families address parents as usted.
Which one should you use?
Mexico does not use vosotros for the plural. Ustedes covers both friendly and formal groups.
How does it change in a sentence?
Usted takes the same verb form as él or ella: Usted tiene but tú tienes. The pronoun is often dropped because the verb already shows the person.
How do you pronounce it?
Tú sounds like "too" and usted like "oos-TEHD".
Did you know?
- In parts of Chiapas people use vos instead of tú, unlike the rest of Mexico.
Examples in context
- Tú eres muy amable.You are very kind.
- ¿Usted desea algo más?Do you want anything else?
- Ustedes llegaron temprano.You all arrived early.
Example conversation
A young clerk, Ivonne, helps a customer, Señor Beltrán, at a bank in Mérida.
- IvonneBuenos días, señor. ¿En qué puedo ayudarle?Good morning, sir. How can I help you?
- BeltránQuiero abrir una cuenta. ¿Tú me puedes atender?I want to open an account. Can you help me?
- IvonneClaro, y a usted le pido una identificación.Of course, and I need an ID from you.
- BeltránAquí la tiene.Here it is.
