Personal pronouns

Lesson

Subject Pronouns (Pronombres personales de sujeto)

Hello! Today, we're diving into the world of Spanish subject pronouns. These are words like 'I', 'you', 'he/she', etc., which tell us who is performing the action in a sentence. They're really important in Spanish, even though they're often omitted because the verb ending usually gives us all the information we need!

Yo hablo español.

I speak Spanish.

You'll notice there are two ways to say 'you' in the singular: tú (informal, for friends, family, or people your age) and usted (formal, for older people, strangers, or in official situations). This distinction is very important in Spanish culture!

Tú eres estudiante.

You are a student.

Usted es profesor.

You are a professor.

Similarly, in the plural, we distinguish between masculine/mixed groups (nosotros, vosotros, ellos) and feminine groups (nosotras, vosotras, ellas). Remember, if there's even one man in a group, you always use the masculine form!

• Subject pronouns are often omitted in Spanish because the verb form indicates the subject (e.g., hablo = I speak).
• We use tú for people you're on 'first-name terms' with (informal), and usted in formal situations.
• In the plural, the pronouns nosotros/vosotros/ellos are for masculine or mixed groups, while nosotras/vosotras/ellas are for exclusively feminine groups.