The formality (or informality) of the situationĪlso keep in mind whether you’re in Spain, Central America, the Argentina-Uruguay-Paraguay region, etc.Each word has a specific function in the language and is often not interchangeable. In landlocked countries like Paraguay and Bolivia, this is akin to asking, “Do you want to go abroad?” It all just goes to show you: Context is everything! How to Determine Which Spanish Form of “You” to Useīy now you know that Spanish has five words that mean “you,” and their differences are pretty significant. Ustedes is for when you’re addressing two or more people, as in: Informally and formally in Latin America. Usage: When formally or informally addressing a group of people This time, Spain is practically the only country that uses it. Spain may not use vos, but it definitely uses vosotros. If you’re addressing a mixed or entirely male group, use vosotros. If the group you’re addressing comprises women, it becomes vosotras. Vosotros is the “you” plural, like the “y’all” of a Texan drawl. Usage: When informally addressing a group of people Remember that the form you use will change the verb’s conjugation. However, it’s still very difficult to pinpoint exactly which places use it because even in a single country, a region may be using vos and just a few miles north, up the mountain or down the valley, you might hear tú instead. Happy Hour Spanish has a map of countries in South America that employ vos. Note that in Spain, vos isn’t used at all. Vos used to just replace tú, but it’s increasingly becoming accepted as a replacement for usted as well in the countries listed above. Where it’s used: Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Eastern Bolivia and some parts of Central America (Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala) It’s like your boss telling you, “Just call me John” after you’ve been “Mr. This means you can use the tú form with them. If the other person thinks you’re being too formal, he’ll tell you by saying: It’s better to start with usted than to assume familiarity and later have to walk back your tú. You’ll want to use usted when you’re initially meeting a person. Usted is a fusion of the old phrase “vuestra merced,”which was used to address superiors in the 15 th and 16 th centuries. Use usted to refer to people of a higher social status than you-your boss, elder members of your family, a government official, a teacher or a doctor. The difference between tú and usted is that usted is more formal than tú. Usage: When referring to a single person you need to be formal with. Tu without the accent mark means “your”… as in, “Your DVDs aren’t coming back.” Usted It’s not there to make the word look more exotic. Oh, and don’t forget the accent mark on top of the u. For example, you can say this to your cat: Tú is used for friends, family members, colleagues, people younger than you and people your own age. Where it’s used: Every Spanish-speaking country Usage: When referring to a single person you’re familiar with. This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you
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