Personal Pronouns

01

The Subject Pronouns

Here are the subject pronouns used in Mexican Spanish:

• yo - I
• tú - you (singular, informal)
• usted - you (singular, formal)
• él - he
• ella - she
• nosotros / nosotras - we
• ustedes - you (plural, both formal and informal)
• ellos / ellas - they

02

Formal vs. Informal 'You'

There are two ways to say "you" when talking to one person: tú and usted.

Use tú (informal) when speaking to friends, family members, children, and people your own age.

• Tú eres mi mejor amigo.

  You are my best friend.

• ¿Tú quieres un taco?

  Do you want a taco?

Use usted (formal) to show respect when speaking to an older person, a person in a position of authority (like a boss or a police officer), or someone you don't know well. The verb form for usted is the same as for él and ella.

• Usted es muy amable, señora.

  You are very kind, ma'am.

• Disculpe, ¿usted sabe dónde está el banco?

  Excuse me, do you know where the bank is?

03

Plural 'You': Ustedes

In Mexico and the rest of Latin America, ustedes is the only pronoun for "you" in the plural. It is used in all situations, whether you are speaking to a group of friends (informal) or a group of professionals (formal).

• Amigos, ¿ustedes quieren ir al cine?

  Friends, do you all want to go to the movies?

• Señores, ¿ustedes tienen una reservación?

  Gentlemen, do you have a reservation?

This is a key difference from the Spanish spoken in Spain, where vosotros is used for the informal plural "you," and ustedes is reserved for formal situations.

04

Gender in Pronouns

The pronouns for "we" and "they" have gendered forms.

- Nosotras and ellas are used for groups of people who are all female.

- Nosotros and ellos are used for groups of people who are all male or for mixed-gender groups. Even if a group has ninety-nine women and one man, the pronoun nosotros or ellos is used.

• Nosotras vamos a la fiesta.

  We (a group of females) are going to the party.

• Ellos son de Monterrey.

  They (a group of males or a mixed group) are from Monterrey.

• Ana y yo vamos al mercado. Nosotros necesitamos comprar fruta.

  Ana and I are going to the market. We need to buy fruit.

05

Omitting Subject Pronouns

Because verb endings change to match the subject, the subject pronoun is often unnecessary and is usually left out in conversation.

• Hablo español.

  I speak Spanish.

• ¿Vives en Puebla?

  Do you live in Puebla?

However, you should include the pronoun for emphasis, clarity, or to make a contrast.

For emphasis: To stress who is doing the action.

• Él no quiere ir, pero yo sí quiero.

  He doesn't want to go, but I do.

For clarity: When the verb form could refer to more than one person.

• Mientras ella leía, él cocinaba.

  While she was reading, he was cooking.

For contrast: To highlight a difference between two subjects.

• Tú prefieres el té y ella prefiere el café.

  You prefer tea and she prefers coffee.