Free Spanish Lesson #12 – This One’s Four You (The Four Spanish You’s)

Free Spanish Lesson #12 – This One’s Four You (The Four Spanish You’s)

In Spanish there are four ways to say “you” – “tú”, “usted”, “ustedes”, and “vosotros”.

If you use the wrong one at the wrong time, you could end up offending someone. Luckily, most Latin people will realize that you are a “gringo” and give you the benefit of the doubt, but it is still important to know how and when to use each form of “you”.

Knowing this will help you sound more educated and possibly avoid causing offense. Some of you may have already learned about this concept in school; hopefully this newsletter will help clarify things it a little more. Here are a few basic tips for usage:

“Usted” – Is often abbreviated as “Ud.”. When in doubt as to which “you” to use, “usted” is the safest and will get you in the least amount of trouble. “Usted” is the formal “you” and shows respect for the person you are talking to.

When you first meet someone, if they are around your age or older, you should use “usted” when talking to them. Likewise, if you use a title with someone, like Dr. Martinez, or Mrs. Garcia, you should use “usted” also with them.

For example, the phrase “Mrs. Garcia, you are very friendly” would be “Señora Garcia, usted es muy amable.” After knowing someone your age for a while, you can slowly transition into using “tú” instead of “usted”. To know when to do this, follow their lead; when they do it, you can do it.

If you are doing business in Mexico and meet someone for the first time you should always use “usted” regardless of whether they are younger than you or not. Otherwise, they could become offended (because of your lack of respect) and you could lose an important business deal.

“Tú” – Is the informal way to say “you”. You should use “tú” when talking to people notably younger than you. Also use “tú” when you are on a first-name basis with someone or if you are very good friends with them. An example of this is, “Juana, you are very smart.” – “Juana, tú eres muy inteligente.”

In any business relationship, when first meeting someone, you should always use “usted” instead of “tú” to show them the proper respect.

“Ustedes” – Is abbreviated as “Uds.”. Use this form of “you” when talking to more than one person, whether formal or informal. For example, “All of you (you plural) are late!” – “¡Ustedes llegaron tarde!”

“Vosotros” – This form of “you” is only used in Spain. It is like the plural form of “tú”. If you are with a group of friends around your same age or younger, or if you are on a first-name basis with them, you would use this form of “you” (plural).

An example of this would be “All of you (you plural) are tall!” – “Vosotros estáis altos”. Again, since this form of “you” is only used in Spain, if you learn Latin American style Spanish, you don’t have to worry about “vosotros”. Also, if you learn Latin American style Spanish (without “vosotros”) then go to Spain, they will still be able to understand you and you will still be able to communicate just fine.

Moral of the Story: To sound more educated when you speak Spanish and avoid possibly offending people, it’s important to learn when to use which form of “you”. I recommend reading about the different forms of “you” (above) until you are thoroughly familiar with them.

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Written by David S. Clark President/Director, U.S. Institute of Languages. Copyright © 1999-2011 US Institute of Languages All rights reserved.

Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.