{"id":11774,"date":"2019-10-22T12:32:06","date_gmt":"2019-10-22T16:32:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.pimsleur.com\/?p=11774"},"modified":"2025-06-04T17:17:44","modified_gmt":"2025-06-04T21:17:44","slug":"tu-usted-vos-rules-in-spanish","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pimsleur.com\/blog\/tu-usted-vos-rules-in-spanish\/","title":{"rendered":"T\u00fa vs Usted vs Vos: The Tricky Spanish Rules for &#8220;You&#8221;!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h.58mprv3twka\"><strong>Spanish&nbsp;Learners Ask: What&#8217;s the Difference Between <\/strong><em><strong>T\u00fa, Usted, <\/strong><\/em><strong>and<\/strong><em><strong> Vos?<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Learning Spanish subject pronouns is no easy feat, especially when we discover that there are&nbsp;<strong>three different versions<\/strong>&nbsp;of the second person singular: <strong><em>t\u00fa<\/em>,<\/strong> <strong><em>usted<\/em><\/strong>, and&nbsp;<strong><em>vos<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That means there are&nbsp;<strong>three different ways<\/strong>&nbsp;to say \u201cyou\u201d&nbsp;in Spanish, and infinite ways to find ourselves in embarrassing (or even offensive) situations when it comes to addressing people in Spanish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Already feel lost? Don\u2019t worry, we\u2019ve broken down everything you need to get started navigating these pronouns. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Definition of Spanish Subject Pronouns<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Difference Between <em>T\u00fa, Usted, <\/em>and<em> Vos<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Where the Pronoun <em>Vos<\/em> Comes From<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Which Countries Use <em>Vos vs.<\/em> <em>T\u00fa<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How to Conjugate <em>Vos<\/em> in Spanish<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>When to Stop Using <em>Usted<\/em> and Start Using <em>T\u00fa \/ Vos<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s start unpacking these pronouns!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h.ngi6mle63f3n\"><strong>What Are Subject Pronouns?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Subject pronouns are the words that indicate who or what is carrying out the action of a verb:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong><em>yo<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;(I)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>t\u00fa<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;(you)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>vos<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;(you)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>ella<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;(she)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>\u00e9l<\/em><\/strong><em>&nbsp;<\/em>(he)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>ustedes<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;(you plural)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>vosotros<\/em><\/strong><em> \/ <\/em><strong><em>vosotras<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;(you plural)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>usted<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;(you formal)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>nosotros<\/em><\/strong><em> \/ <\/em><strong><em>nosotras<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;(we)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>ellos<\/em><\/strong><em> \/ <\/em><strong><em>ellas<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;(they)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>As you see,&nbsp;<strong><em>t\u00fa<\/em><\/strong><em>,&nbsp;<\/em><strong><em>vos<\/em><\/strong><em>, <\/em>and<em>&nbsp;<\/em><strong><em>usted<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;are all different ways to address a person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h.9vrtp1i0rz4o\"><strong><em>T\u00fa<\/em>, <em>Usted<\/em>, <em>Vos<\/em> \u2013 So What\u2019s the Difference?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The easy answer is&nbsp;<strong>formality<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The&nbsp;<strong>general rule<\/strong>&nbsp;is that&nbsp;<strong><em>t\u00fa<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<strong><em>vos<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;are&nbsp;<strong>informal<\/strong>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<strong><em>usted<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;is&nbsp;<strong>formal<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>T\u00fa<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<strong><em>vos<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;are generally used for addressing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Friends<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Family<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Peers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Equals<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Children<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pets (for all the animal lovers that find themselves talking to their pets)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Usted<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp; is the formal version of &#8220;you&#8221;, used when addressing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Elders<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Professionals<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Strangers (or people with whom you&#8217;re not familiar)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Doctors<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bosses<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Teachers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Parents (rarely) <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Wait a minute. Where does the pronoun&nbsp;<strong><em>vos<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;come from, and why didn\u2019t I see it in my Spanish textbook?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h.75dosxaowx2w\"><strong>What is <em>Vos<\/em> in Spanish?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/d3brn974kg3172.cloudfront.net\/2019\/10\/what-is-vos-in-Spanish-1024x512.png\" alt=\"what is vos in Spanish\" class=\"wp-image-11775\" style=\"width:570px;height:285px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/d3brn974kg3172.cloudfront.net\/2019\/10\/what-is-vos-in-Spanish-1024x512.png 1024w, https:\/\/d3brn974kg3172.cloudfront.net\/2019\/10\/what-is-vos-in-Spanish-300x150.png 300w, https:\/\/d3brn974kg3172.cloudfront.net\/2019\/10\/what-is-vos-in-Spanish-768x384.png 768w, https:\/\/d3brn974kg3172.cloudfront.net\/2019\/10\/what-is-vos-in-Spanish.png 1999w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In the Americas,&nbsp;<strong><em>vos<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;is an informal &#8220;you&#8221; like <strong><em>t\u00fa<\/em><\/strong>. It originated in the 1500s when the Spanish colonized Latin America and imposed a strict hierarchy of social classes. The indigenous people referred to members of the Spanish nobility as <strong><em>vuestra merced<\/em><\/strong>, meaning \u201c<strong>your grace<\/strong>\u201d. This term evolved to <strong><em>vuasted<\/em><\/strong>, later shortened to <strong><em>vos<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The usage of&nbsp;<strong><em>vos<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;is also called the&nbsp;<strong><em>voseo<\/em>&nbsp;<\/strong>or&nbsp;<strong><em>voseo<\/em> <em>americano<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h.ss6ac3oq2538\"><strong>More on <em>Vos<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Although it is almost non-existent today in Spain,&nbsp;<strong><em>vos<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;can be found in literary works, dating as far back as the late 18th century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Today, most teachers of either Castilian or Mexican Spanish don\u2019t cover&nbsp;<strong><em>vos<\/em>,&nbsp;<\/strong>seeing as it is irrelevant in their countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the other hand, in some countries such as Argentina and Uruguay,&nbsp;<strong><em>vos<\/em>&nbsp;<\/strong>actually replaces both&nbsp;<strong><em>t\u00fa<\/em>&nbsp;<\/strong>AND&nbsp;<strong><em>usted<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;to form a singular formal \/ informal pronoun. Here, knowing how to use&nbsp;<strong><em>vos<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;is super relevant for your survival in academia, marketing, and even politics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And then some places use both. In parts of Central America, like El Salvador,&nbsp;<strong><em>vos<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;might dominate&nbsp;<strong>informally<\/strong>&nbsp;but&nbsp;<strong><em>usted<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;is still used in a&nbsp;<strong>formal<\/strong>&nbsp;context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h.eho5fkgaqukw\"><strong>Which Spanish-Speaking Countries Use <em>Vos<\/em>?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1020\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/d3brn974kg3172.cloudfront.net\/2019\/10\/tu-vs-vos-usage-map-1020x1024.png\" alt=\"map of countries in Latin America that explains the Spanish tu and vos usage\" class=\"wp-image-11776\" style=\"width:565px;height:567px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/d3brn974kg3172.cloudfront.net\/2019\/10\/tu-vs-vos-usage-map-1020x1024.png 1020w, https:\/\/d3brn974kg3172.cloudfront.net\/2019\/10\/tu-vs-vos-usage-map-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/d3brn974kg3172.cloudfront.net\/2019\/10\/tu-vs-vos-usage-map-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/d3brn974kg3172.cloudfront.net\/2019\/10\/tu-vs-vos-usage-map-768x771.png 768w, https:\/\/d3brn974kg3172.cloudfront.net\/2019\/10\/tu-vs-vos-usage-map.png 1991w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1020px) 100vw, 1020px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some say that countries that predominantly use&nbsp;<strong><em>vos<\/em><\/strong> were geographically isolated during colonial times, whereas countries that hardly use it \u2013 Mexico, Cuba, Peru, and the DR \u2013 had better communications with Spain during colonization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Every region has its own peculiarities and ways to employ pronouns, but&nbsp;<strong>generally<\/strong>, the breakdown of&nbsp;<strong><em>voseo<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;by country is the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table aligncenter\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Countries where&nbsp;<\/strong><br><strong><em>vos<\/em>&nbsp;is predominant:<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Countries where <\/strong><br><strong>both&nbsp;<em>vos<\/em>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<em>t\u00fa<\/em>&nbsp;<\/strong><br><strong>are used:<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Countries where<\/strong>&nbsp;<strong><em>t\u00fa<\/em>&nbsp;<\/strong><br><strong>is primarily used.<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Argentina, Uruguay, <br>Paraguay, El Salvador, <br>Guatemala, <br>Honduras, <br>Nicaragua, Costa Rica<\/td><td>Bolivia, Colombia, <br>Ecuador, Panama, <br>Venezuela, Chile<\/td><td>Spain, Dominican Republic, <br>Puerto Rico, Mexico, Peru, <br>Cuba<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h.8vwl3rwz1vpe\"><strong>How to Conjugate <em>Vos<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Here is how to conjugate&nbsp;<strong><em>vos<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;in Spanish, compared to&nbsp;<strong><em>t\u00fa<\/em><\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Verb<\/strong>        <\/td><td><strong><em>Vos<\/em> <\/strong><br><strong>(Present <\/strong><br><strong>Indicative)<\/strong><\/td><td><strong><em>Vos<\/em> <\/strong><br><strong>(Imperative)<\/strong><\/td><td><strong><em>T\u00fa<\/em> <\/strong><br><strong>(Present <\/strong><br><strong>Indicative)<\/strong><\/td><td><strong><em>T\u00fa<\/em> <\/strong><br><strong>(Imperative)<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Tener<\/em><\/td><td><em>Ten\u00e9s<\/em><\/td><td><em>Ten\u00e9<\/em><\/td><td><em>Tienes<\/em><\/td><td><em>Ten<\/em><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Sentir<\/em><\/td><td><em>Sent\u00eds<\/em><\/td><td><em>Sent\u00ed<\/em><\/td><td><em>Sientes<\/em><\/td><td><em>Siente<\/em><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Decir<\/em><\/td><td><em>Dec\u00eds<\/em><\/td><td><em>Dec\u00ed<\/em><\/td><td><em>Dices<\/em><\/td><td><em>Di<\/em><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Comer<\/em><\/td><td><em>Com\u00e9s<\/em><\/td><td><em>Com\u00e9<\/em><\/td><td><em>Comes<\/em><\/td><td><em>Come<\/em><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Andar<\/em><\/td><td><em>And\u00e1s<\/em><\/td><td><em>And\u00e1<\/em><\/td><td><em>Andas<\/em><\/td><td><em>Anda<\/em><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Ser<\/em><\/td><td><em>Sos<\/em><\/td><td><em>S\u00e9<\/em><\/td><td><em>Eres<\/em><\/td><td><em>S\u00e9<\/em><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>**Regional varieties might conjugate differently, <em>i.e.<\/em> Chile &amp; Maracaibo. See regional differences below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h.4p4dqijuvvzc\"><strong>Regional Differences in <em>Vos<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>There are endless regional discrepancies when it comes to <strong><em>voseo<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;in the Americas. In the Zulia region of Venezuela and in Panama\u2019s Azuero Peninsula,&nbsp;<strong><em>vos<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;is conjugated as&nbsp;<strong><em>vosotros<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Chile, on the other hand, among friends you\u2019ll hear <strong><em>t\u00fa<\/em>&nbsp;<\/strong>used with the&nbsp;<strong><em>vos<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;conjugation, but the&nbsp;<strong><em>vos<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;conjugation here is even more irregular than the one listed above. Here are some examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Ser &#8211; <\/em><strong><em>t\u00fa<\/em><\/strong><em>&nbsp;soi <\/em>or<em>&nbsp;<\/em><strong><em>t\u00fa<\/em><\/strong><em>&nbsp;er\u00eds<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Estar &#8211; <\/em><strong><em>t\u00fa&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><em>estai<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Ir &#8211; <\/em><strong><em>t\u00fa<\/em><\/strong><em>&nbsp;vai<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Haber &#8211; <\/em><strong><em>t\u00fa&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><em>hai<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Some theories say that this conjugation derives from&nbsp;<strong><em>vosotros<\/em><\/strong>, but because Chileans hardly ever pronounce the letter \u201cs\u201d at the end of a word, it went from <em>sois<\/em> \u2192 <em>soi<\/em> and <em>estais<\/em> \u2192 <em>estai<\/em>. Although Chileans don\u2019t use the&nbsp;<em>voseo<\/em>&nbsp;for the imperative tense, they do use it in the past imperfect<strong> <\/strong>and<strong> <\/strong>future tenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We can\u2019t list every regional difference in this article, so leave some of the ones you\u2019ve encountered in the comments below!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h.9toelmly7aaf\"><strong>When Do You Stop Using <em>Usted<\/em> and Start Using <em>T\u00fa \/ Vos?<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a gentle process that has to be approached with ample emotional intelligence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are some older people who would be extremely offended if a young person addressed them informally, and others who would be offended by the opposite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The best way is to&nbsp;<strong>listen to how others are addressing the person<\/strong>. This is especially important in work environments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br>When you\u2019re unsure, always use&nbsp;<strong><em>usted<\/em><\/strong>. It\u2019s your safest bet, followed by&nbsp;<strong><em>t\u00fa<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;and lastly by&nbsp;<strong><em>vos<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to ask someone if they would prefer to use&nbsp;<strong><em>t\u00fa<\/em><\/strong>, the verb is&nbsp;<strong><em>tutear<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>\u00bfNos podemos tutear?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cCan we call each other&nbsp;<em>t\u00fa<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>\u00bfTe puedo tutear?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cCan I use <em>t\u00fa<\/em> with you?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And if someone screams <strong><em>Tut\u00e9ame<\/em><\/strong><em><strong>!<\/strong><\/em>,  for example your boyfriend\/girlfriend\u2019s parents, then they want you to call them by their informal pronoun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h.8arlmpv4jtq4\"><strong>Now That We Know Each Other\u2026 <em>\u00a1Tut\u00e9anos!<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you get to know someone, you\u2019ll most likely use&nbsp;<strong><em>t\u00fa<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Know of any other regional differences in pronouns? Tell us in the comments!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For additional Spanish practice, download our App for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pimsleur.com\/learn-spanish-spain-castilian\/\">Pimsleur Castilian Spanish<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pimsleur.com\/learn-spanish-latin-american\/\">Pimsleur Latin American Spanish<\/a> and learn Spanish in context.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"838\" height=\"515\" src=\"https:\/\/d3brn974kg3172.cloudfront.net\/2019\/10\/image3.png\" alt=\"Pimsleur Spanish Subscription\" class=\"wp-image-11643\" srcset=\"https:\/\/d3brn974kg3172.cloudfront.net\/2019\/10\/image3.png 838w, https:\/\/d3brn974kg3172.cloudfront.net\/2019\/10\/image3-300x184.png 300w, https:\/\/d3brn974kg3172.cloudfront.net\/2019\/10\/image3-768x472.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 838px) 100vw, 838px\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Spanish&nbsp;Learners Ask: What&#8217;s the Difference Between T\u00fa, Usted, and Vos? Learning Spanish subject pronouns is no easy feat, especially when we discover that there are&nbsp;three different versions&nbsp;of the second person singular: t\u00fa, usted, and&nbsp;vos. That means there are&nbsp;three different ways&nbsp;to say \u201cyou\u201d&nbsp;in Spanish, and infinite ways to find ourselves in embarrassing (or even offensive) situations <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pimsleur.com\/blog\/tu-usted-vos-rules-in-spanish\/\">Read More >><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":11776,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[58,1378],"class_list":["post-11774","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-language-learning","tag-language-learning-2","tag-spanish"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v26.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>T\u00fa vs Usted vs Vos: The Tricky Spanish Rules for &quot;You&quot;! | The Pimsleur Language Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Avoid embarrassing (even offensive) situations by choosing the right \u201cyou\u201d in Spanish. 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