Subject pronouns in Spanish

Subject pronouns

Below is an overview of the personal pronouns used as the subject of a sentence.

It’s good to know that the forms nosotras, vosotras, and ellas also exist! These are feminine forms. You’ll undoubtedly encounter them frequently throughout the rest of the course.

Explanation

1. 1st person (I, we):

   • yo: "I"
     Example: Yo hablo español. (I speak Spanish.)
   • nosotros/nosotras: "We" (masculine/feminine)
     Example: Nosotros estudiamos. (We study.)

2. 2nd person (you, you all):

   • tú: "You" (informal)
     Example: Tú trabajas mucho. (You work a lot.)
   • vosotros/vosotras: "You all" (informal, masculine/feminine)
     Example: Vosotros sois amigos. (You all are friends.)

3. 3rd person (he, she, you, they):

   • él/ella/usted: "He, she, you" (formal)
     Example: Ella vive aquí. (She lives here.)
   • ellos/ellas/ustedes: "They, you (plural)"
     Example: Ellos cantan bien. (They sing well.)

Differences in Latin American Spanish

1. Vosotros/vosotras is replaced by ustedes in Latin America for both informal and formal plural.

   • Example: Ustedes son amigos. (You all are friends.)

2. In some countries (e.g., Argentina), vos is used instead of tú, with slightly different verb conjugations.

   • Example: Vos hablás español. (You speak Spanish.)