Subject pronouns
Yo, tú, él, ella, usted, nosotros, vosotros, ellos and ustedes say who does the action. Spanish often leaves them out, because the verb ending already shows who.
Taught in: A1.1 Week 1: Greetings & Introductions
The rule at a glance
yo hablo · tú hablas · él / ella / usted habla
nosotros/as hablamos · vosotros/as habláis · ellos / ellas / ustedes hablan
Informal you
tú · vosotros
you · you all (Spain)
¿Vosotros venís mañana?
Are you all coming tomorrow?
Formal you
usted · ustedes
you · you all (polite)
¿Quiere usted un café?
Would you like a coffee?
They
ellos · ellas
they (male or mixed) · they (all female)
Ellas son mis hermanas.
They're my sisters.
- You usually leave the pronoun out, because the verb ending already shows who: Hablo inglés.
- Tú or usted? Tú with friends, family and people your age; usted with older people you don't know and in formal situations.
Forms
Here are all the subject pronouns, organised by grammatical person:
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1st personthe speaker | yo – I | nosotros / nosotras – we (masc/mixed) / we (fem) |
| 2nd personthe listener | tú – you (informal)usted – you (formal) | vosotros / vosotras – you all (Spain, informal)ustedes – you all (formal / Latin America) |
| 3rd personsomeone else | él – heella – she | ellos – they (masc/mixed)ellas – they (fem) |
How they work with verbs
Each pronoun has its own verb ending. Example with hablar (to speak):
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| yo hablo – I speak | nosotros/as hablamos – we speak |
| tú hablas – you speak (informal) | vosotros/as habláis – you all speak (Spain) |
| él/ella/usted habla – he/she speaks, you speak (formal) | ellos/ellas/ustedes hablan – they speak, you all speak |
The highlighted part is the ending.
Want to learn more about verb conjugations? See our guide on regular verbs in the present tense.
When to use it
1. Usually leave the pronoun out
The verb ending already shows who. Add the pronoun for emphasis, contrast or clarity.
Hablo inglés. I speak English.
Yo hablo inglés, pero él habla francés. I speak English, but he speaks French.
2. Tú or usted
Tú for friends and family, children and teenagers, people your age and casual situations. Usted for elders and authority figures, people you don't know well, professional situations and to show respect. Usted takes the same verb form as él and ella.
¿Tú quieres café? Do you want coffee? (informal, friends)
¿Usted quiere café? Do you want coffee? (formal, an elder)
¿Usted habla español? Do you speak Spanish? (formal)
3. You all: vosotros or ustedes
In Spain, vosotros/vosotras is the everyday informal "you all" and ustedes the formal one. Latin America uses ustedes for every group; vosotros is rarely used there.
¿Vosotros queréis café? Do you all want coffee? (Spain)
¿Vosotros vais al parque? Are you all going to the park? (Spain)
¿Ustedes quieren café? Do you all want coffee? (Latin America, or formal in Spain)
¿Ustedes van al parque? Are you all going to the park? (Latin America)
4. Groups: masculine unless everyone is female
If there is even one male in the group, use nosotros, vosotros or ellos. Use nosotras, vosotras or ellas only when the group is 100% female.
Nosotros vamos. We go. (a woman and her brother)
Nosotras vamos. We go. (a woman and her sisters)
Ellos viven en Barcelona. They (males/mixed) live in Barcelona.
Ellas son doctoras. They (females) are doctors.
Common mistakes
Using tú with everyone
Not this (incorrect): ¿Tú hablas español? (to an elderly stranger)
But this (correct): ¿Usted habla español? (to an elderly stranger). When in doubt, use usted. It's better to be too formal than too casual.
Vosotros outside Spain
Not this (incorrect): ¿Vosotros vais al parque? (in Mexico)
But this (correct): ¿Ustedes van al parque? (in Mexico). Use ustedes everywhere except Spain, where vosotros is common for informal groups.
Feminine forms for a mixed group
Not this (incorrect): Nosotras vamos (me + my brother)
But this (correct): Nosotros vamos (me + my brother). One male = masculine form. All females = feminine form.
Yo in every sentence
Not this (incorrect): Yo me llamo Tom. Yo soy de Leeds. Yo tengo treinta años.
But this (correct): Me llamo Tom. Soy de Leeds y tengo treinta años. – My name's Tom. I'm from Leeds and I'm thirty. The verb ending already shows who; repeating yo sounds heavy and emphatic.
Quick check
8 questions1. Which subject pronoun means 'I' in Spanish?
'Yo' means 'I' in Spanish. It's the first person singular pronoun.
2. What does 'nosotros' mean?
'Nosotros' means 'we' when referring to a group that includes at least one male or is mixed gender.
3. Which pronoun would you use for 'you all' when talking to friends in Spain?
In Spain, 'vosotros' is used for 'you all' in informal situations. 'Ustedes' is reserved for formal situations.
4. When do you use 'usted' instead of 'tú'?
'Usted' is used in formal situations, with elders, or people you don't know well. It shows respect.
5. What's the difference between 'ellos' and 'ellas'?
'Ellos' refers to a group of males or mixed gender, while 'ellas' refers to a group of only females.
6. Three sisters talking about themselves would use which pronoun?
'Nosotras' is the feminine form of 'we' for an all-female group talking about themselves.
7. In Mexico, how would you address a group of friends (you all)?
In Mexico and all of Latin America, 'ustedes' is used for 'you all' in both formal and informal situations.
8. Which pronoun uses the same verb form as 'él' and 'ella'?
'Usted' uses the same verb conjugation as 'él' and 'ella' (third person singular).
Test your knowledge of Spanish subject pronouns and when to use them.
Going further
Every pronoun in a sentence, and a short conversation
Singular pronouns in sentences
yo: Yo hablo español. I speak Spanish.
yo: Yo soy estudiante. I am a student.
tú: ¿Tú hablas inglés? Do you speak English?
tú: Tú eres muy amable. You are very kind.
él: Él trabaja en Madrid. He works in Madrid.
ella: Ella estudia medicina. She studies medicine.
Plural pronouns in sentences
nosotros: Nosotros vamos al cine. We go to the cinema.
nosotras: Nosotras estudiamos juntas. We (females) study together.
vosotros: ¿Vosotros venís mañana? Are you all coming tomorrow? (Spain)
ustedes: ¿Ustedes hablan español? Do you all speak Spanish?
Sample conversation
María: ¿Vosotros vais al restaurante? Are you all going to the restaurant?
Carlos: Sí, nosotros vamos. ¿Y tú? Yes, we are going. And you?
Ana: Yo también voy. I'm going too.
María: ¡Perfecto! Nosotras vamos juntas. Perfect! We (girls) are going together.