Formal vs Informal Register: Tú vs Usted
Use tú with friends, family and children, and usted with strangers, elders and in formal work situations. Usted takes the él/ella verb form: ¿Cómo está?
Taught in: A1.1 Week 11: At a Café
The rule at a glance
tú for friends, family and children · usted for strangers, elders and work
Usted takes the él/ella verb form; When in doubt, start with usted
Informal (tú)
¿Cómo estás?
friends, family, children
¿Dónde vives?
Where do you live? (to a friend)
Formal (usted)
¿Cómo está?
strangers, elders, formal work
¿Dónde vive?
Where do you live? (to an elderly neighbour)
Plural in Spain
vosotros · ustedes
informal · formal
¿Qué hacéis?
What are you all doing? (friends)
Plural in Latin America
ustedes
formal and informal
¿Qué hacen?
What are you all doing? (anyone)
- It's better to be too polite than too casual. People will invite you to switch: Puedes tutearme (You can call me tú), from the verb tutear.
Forms
Verb forms: tú vs usted
Usted uses the same verb form as él/ella (third person singular), and ustedes the same as ellos. See subject pronouns for the full set.
| Verb | Tú (informal) | Usted (formal) |
|---|---|---|
| hablar (speak) | hablas | habla |
| comer (eat) | comes | come |
| vivir (live) | vives | vive |
| tener (have) | tienes | tiene |
| poder (can) | puedes | puede |
Commands: tú vs usted
Formal commands use the subjunctive form, while affirmative tú commands usually look like the él/ella present. More on tú commands and usted and ustedes commands.
| English | Tú command | Usted command |
|---|---|---|
| Speak | habla | hable |
| Eat | come | coma |
| Write | escribe | escriba |
| Come | ven | venga |
| Do/Make | haz | haga |
Informal: Habla más despacio, por favor. Speak more slowly, please. (to a friend)
Formal: Hable más despacio, por favor. Speak more slowly, please. (to a stranger)
Plural: Spain and Latin America
In Spain the plural keeps the difference (see vosotros); in Latin America it disappears.
Spain: vosotros vs ustedes
Vosotros = informal plural
Ustedes = formal plural
- ¿Qué hacéis? – What are you all doing? (friends)
Latin America: ustedes only
Ustedes = both formal and informal plural
(vosotros is not used)
- ¿Qué hacen? – What are you all doing? (anyone)
Common expressions by register
| Context | Informal (tú) | Formal (usted) |
|---|---|---|
| Greeting | ¿Qué tal? / ¿Cómo estás? | Buenos días / ¿Cómo está? |
| Thank you | Gracias | Muchas gracias / Se lo agradezco |
| Excuse me | Perdona / Disculpa | Perdone / Disculpe |
| Can you...? | ¿Puedes...? | ¿Podría...? / ¿Puede...? |
| Goodbye | Hasta luego / Chao | Que tenga un buen día |
When to use it
1. Tú: friends, family, children and casual settings
Use tú with friends and peers, family (in most families), children and teenagers, at parties and on social media, and with anyone who invites you to.
Friends: Oye, ¿vienes a la fiesta el sábado? Hey, are you coming to the party on Saturday?
Family: Mamá, ¿me prestas el coche esta noche? Mum, can you lend me the car tonight?
Classmates: ¿Entendiste los deberes? No tengo ni idea. Did you understand the homework? I have no idea.
Text message: ¿Dónde estás? Te espero en la cafetería. Where are you? I'm waiting for you at the café.
2. Usted: strangers, elders, work and authority
Use usted with people you don't know, older people, senior managers, clients and doctors, police and officials, and your friends' parents until they invite you to use tú. In Spain, tú is used much more widely: shop assistants, waiters and colleagues of your age (often your boss too) usually say tú, and usted is kept for older people, officials and formal situations. In Latin America usted is more common, so when in doubt, start with usted.
At a shop: Disculpe, ¿tiene esto en talla mediana? Excuse me, do you have this in medium?
Job interview: ¿Por qué quiere trabajar en nuestra empresa? Why do you want to work at our company?
At the doctor: ¿Cómo se encuentra? ¿Qué síntomas tiene? How are you feeling? What symptoms do you have?
3. Formal writing
Professional emails use a formal greeting and usted throughout, even with a first name you know.
Business email: Estimado Sr. García: Le escribo para... Dear Mr García, I am writing to...
Business email: Estimada señora: Dear Madam,
4. Switching to tú
People invite you to drop the formality with these phrases. Accept: carrying on with usted after the invitation can sound cold.
Puedes tutearme. You can use tú with me.
No hace falta el usted. There's no need for usted.
Trátame de tú. Address me with tú.
Common mistakes
Tú with an older stranger
Not this (incorrect): ¿Cómo estás? (to an elderly stranger)
But this (correct): ¿Cómo está? – How are you? Always start with usted when meeting someone new, especially older people.
Usted with a tú verb form
Not this (incorrect): ¿Usted puedes ayudarme?
But this (correct): ¿Usted puede ayudarme? – Can you help me? Don't mix usted with tú verb forms: usted uses the third-person conjugation.
Vosotros in Latin America
Not this (incorrect): ¿Vosotros queréis? (in Mexico)
But this (correct): ¿Ustedes quieren? – Do you all want (some)? Vosotros is only used in Spain. Latin America uses ustedes for all plural "you".
Slipping into tú in a formal email
Not this (incorrect): Estimado Sr. García: Te escribo para...
But this (correct): Estimado Sr. García: Le escribo para... – Dear Mr García, I am writing to... Once you open with Estimado/a, keep usted throughout: le escribo, su empresa, never te or tu.
Quick check
8 questions1. Which pronoun would you use with a senior manager at a job interview?
Use 'usted' (formal you) in a formal work situation like an interview, unless they invite you to use tú. (Many Spanish offices use tú with colleagues, often with the boss too.)
2. Your grandmother greets a guest she has just met: '¿Cómo está usted?' What register is she using?
'Está' with usted is the formal form (tú would be 'estás'). People often use usted with someone they have just met.
3. In a shop, which is more appropriate: 'Disculpe' or 'Disculpa'?
Use 'Disculpe' (formal) in shops and with strangers. 'Disculpa' is for friends and informal situations.
4. In Spain, how would friends address each other in plural?
In Spain, friends use 'vosotros' (informal plural). Ustedes is formal in Spain, though it's used for all contexts in Latin America.
5. In Mexico, 'ustedes' is used...
In Latin America, 'ustedes' serves for both formal and informal plural 'you'. There's no vosotros in everyday speech.
6. In a professional email, which greeting is most appropriate?
Use 'Estimado/a señor/a' for professional emails. 'Hola' and 'Qué tal' are too informal for business contexts.
7. You meet your friend's parents for the first time. Which verb form should you use?
Start with usted (¿Cómo está?) when meeting elders or parents. They can invite you to switch to tú if they prefer.
8. A university lecturer tells the class 'Podéis tutearme.' What does this mean?
'Tutear' means to use tú. When someone says 'Podéis tutearme' (or 'Puedes tutearme' to one person), they're giving permission to drop formality.
Test your knowledge of Spanish formal and informal register:
Going further
Switching to tú in a real conversation
Switching from formal to informal
A typical conversation: the student starts with usted, the professor invites tú, and the student switches straight away.
Student: Disculpe, profesor, ¿tiene un momento? Excuse me, do you have a moment?
Lecturer: Sí, claro. Y puedes tutearme. Yes, of course. And you can use tú with me.
Student: Gracias. ¿Puedo hacerte una pregunta? Thanks. Can I ask you a question? (now using tú)
Carrying on with "¿Cómo está usted?" after the invitation sounds awkward; "Gracias. ¿Puedo preguntarte algo?" is natural.