PronounsbeginnerCEFR A1

Subject Pronouns: yo, tú, él, ella, nosotros, ellos

What You'll Learn

A1 Essential: Master the 8 basic Spanish subject pronouns (yo, tú, él, ella, nosotros, nosotras, ellos, ellas)
Understand what each pronoun means: I, you, he, she, we, they
Learn the formal "you" - usted (singular) and ustedes (plural)
Practice choosing the right pronoun for different people and situations
Recognize gender differences in group pronouns (nosotros/nosotras, ellos/ellas)
Build confidence using pronouns in basic present tense sentences

Overview / Usage

Subject pronouns are the building blocks of Spanish conversation - they tell us who is doing the action! Think of them as the "actors" in your Spanish sentences. Understanding these pronouns is crucial because they determine how verbs are conjugated and help you express yourself clearly.

🎯 Why This Matters

Subject pronouns are like name tags in a conversation - they tell everyone who you're talking about. Get these right, and your Spanish will sound natural and clear. Get them wrong, and you might end up talking about yourself when you meant to talk about someone else!

What You'll Master

👤 All 8 subject pronouns (yo, tú, él, ella, usted, nosotros, vosotros, ellos, ellas, ustedes)
🎭 Formal vs informal (tú vs usted)
🌍 Regional differences (Spain vs Latin America)
⚡ When to use each one in real conversations
🚀 Common mistakes to avoid

Structure & Formation

Step 1: Meet Your Spanish Subject Pronouns

Here are all the subject pronouns you need to know in Spanish:

🎭 The Complete Cast of Characters

yo • tú • él • ella • usted • nosotros • vosotros • ellos • ellas • ustedes

These are your conversation partners in Spanish!

📚 How They Work with Verbs (Example: hablar - to speak)

hablo

I speak

tú

hablas

you speak

él/ella/usted

habla

he/she/you speak

nosotros/as

hablamos

we speak

vosotros/as

habláis

you all (Spain)

ellos/ellas/ustedes

hablan

they/you all

💡 Notice how each pronoun has its own verb ending? This pattern repeats for all regular verbs!

👤 Singular Pronouns

yo: I

tú: you (informal)

él: he

ella: she

usted: you (formal)

👥 Plural Pronouns

nosotros: we (masc/mixed)

nosotras: we (females only)

vosotros: you all (Spain only, informal)

[Optional for A1]

vosotras: you all (Spain only, females)

[Optional for A1]

ellos: they (masc/mixed)

ellas: they (females only)

ustedes: you all (see regional differences below)

Step 2: The Tú vs Usted Decision

🎭 When to Use Formal vs Informal

Use TÚ (Informal):

Friends and family
Children and teenagers
People your age
Casual situations

Use USTED (Formal):

Elders and authority figures
People you don't know well
Professional situations
To show respect

🌍 For A2+ Learners: Regional Differences (Spain vs Latin America)

This is more advanced content. Focus on the basics first!

🌍 Spain vs Latin America

🇪🇸 Spain:

Vosotros/vosotras for "you all" (informal)

Ustedes for "you all" (formal)

Example: "¿Vosotros vais al parque?"

🌎 Latin America:

Ustedes for "you all" (both formal and informal)

Vosotros is rarely used

Example: "¿Ustedes van al parque?"

Step 4: Gender Rules for Groups

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Mixed Gender Groups

Nosotros: Used when group includes at least one male (even if that's just you!)
Ellos: Used when group includes at least one male
Vosotros: Used when group includes at least one male (Spain)
Example: "Nosotros vamos" (female speaker + her brother)

👩‍👩‍👧‍👧 All-Female Groups

Nosotras: Used ONLY when everyone is female (including you if you're part of the group)
Ellas: Used ONLY when everyone is female
Vosotras: Used ONLY when everyone is female (Spain)
Example: "Nosotras vamos" (female speaker + her sisters)

💡 Memory Trick

Simple rule: If there's even one male in the group, use the masculine form.

Only use feminine forms when the group is 100% female.

Note: When addressing others (vosotros/vosotras), your own gender doesn't matter - only theirs does.

Examples

Practice with Real Examples

Let's see these pronouns in action with sentences you'll actually use!

👤 Singular Examples

Yo (I)

Yo hablo español.

I speak Spanish.

Yo soy estudiante.

I am a student.

Tú (You - informal)

¿Tú hablas inglés?

Do you speak English?

Tú eres muy amable.

You are very kind.

Él/Ella (He/She)

Él trabaja en Madrid.

He works in Madrid.

Ella estudia medicina.

She studies medicine.

Usted (You - formal)

¿Usted habla español?

Do you speak Spanish? (formal)

Usted es muy profesional.

You are very professional.

👥 Plural Examples

Nosotros/Nosotras (We)

Nosotros vamos al cine.

We go to the cinema.

Nosotras estudiamos juntas.

We (females) study together.

Vosotros/Vosotras (You all - Spain)

¿Vosotros venís mañana?

Are you all coming tomorrow?

Vosotros sois mis amigos.

You all are my friends.

Ellos/Ellas (They)

Ellos viven en Barcelona.

They (males/mixed) live in Barcelona.

Ellas son doctoras.

They (females) are doctors.

Ustedes (You all)

¿Ustedes hablan español?

Do you all speak Spanish?

Ustedes son muy amables.

You all are very kind.

💼 Real-World Conversation Examples

👥 Group Conversation

María: ¿Vosotros vais al restaurante?
Carlos: Sí, nosotros vamos. ¿Y tú?
Ana: Yo también voy.
María: ¡Perfecto! Nosotras vamos juntas.

🎭 Formal vs Informal

Informal (Friends):
¿Tú quieres café?

Formal (Elder/Stranger):
¿Usted quiere café?

Group (Latin America):
¿Ustedes quieren café?

Gotchas / Common Mistakes

Watch Out for These Common Mistakes!

😱 "I Keep Using Tú with Everyone!"

The Problem: Using informal tú in formal situations

❌ Wrong: "¿Tú habla español?" (to your boss)

✅ Right: "¿Usted habla español?" (to your boss)

💡 Fix: When in doubt, use usted. It's better to be too formal than too casual!

😅 "I Don't Know When to Use Vosotros!"

The Problem: Confusion about vosotros vs ustedes

❌ Wrong: "¿Vosotros van al parque?" (in Mexico)

✅ Right: "¿Ustedes van al parque?" (in Mexico)

💡 Fix: Use ustedes everywhere except Spain, where vosotros is common for informal groups.

🤔 "What About Mixed Gender Groups?"

The Problem: Using feminine forms for mixed groups

❌ Wrong: "Nosotras vamos" (me + my brother)

✅ Right: "Nosotros vamos" (me + my brother)

💡 Fix: One male = masculine form. All females = feminine form.

😵 "I Keep Forgetting the Gender Rules!"

The Problem: Not knowing when to use nosotros vs nosotras

❌ Wrong: "Ellas van" (group with one male)

✅ Right: "Ellos van" (group with one male)

💡 Fix: Think: "Is there a guy in this group?" If yes, use masculine form.

💡 Pro Success Strategies

🎭 Start with the Basics

Master yo, tú, él, ella first. These four cover most of your needs!

🌍 Know Your Region

If you're learning for Spain, practice vosotros. For Latin America, focus on ustedes.

👥 Practice with Groups

Think about real people: "My family (nosotros), my female friends (nosotras), my mixed group (nosotros)."

🎯 Use Context Clues

Listen for verb endings - they often tell you which pronoun is being used.

📚 Read Spanish Texts

Notice how native speakers use pronouns in real conversations and stories.

🗣️ Practice Out Loud

Say sentences with different pronouns to get comfortable with the sounds.

🧠 Remember This

Subject pronouns are like the cast of characters in your Spanish conversations. Think of them as name tags that tell everyone who's doing what. Master these, and you'll be able to talk about yourself, others, and groups with confidence!

Useful Resources

Coming soon...

←

Previous Topic

Possessive Adjectives

Next Topic

Regular Verbs - Present Tense

→