Spanish Pronouns: Complete Guide

Subject, object and reflexive pronouns with audio pronunciation. Click any row to hear it spoken.

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Subject Pronouns

Subject pronouns tell you who is doing the action. In Spanish, they are often dropped because the verb ending already indicates the subject. But you need to know them to conjugate correctly.

SpanishEnglishUsage
yoI1st person singular
you (informal)friends, family, peers
ustedyou (formal)respect, strangers, elders
élhe3rd person masculine
ellashe3rd person feminine
nosotros/nosotraswe1st person plural
vosotros/vosotrasyou all (Spain)informal plural, Spain only
ustedesyou allformal plural / Latin America
ellos/ellasthey3rd person plural
Tú vs Usted

Use tú with friends, children and people your age. Use usted with strangers, elderly people and in formal settings. When in doubt, start with usted — switching to tú is easier than the other way around. In Latin America, some countries use vos instead of tú.

Direct Object Pronouns

Direct object pronouns replace the thing or person receiving the action. They go before the conjugated verb.

PronounMeaningExample
memeElla me ve — She sees me
teyouTe llamo — I call you
lohim/it (m)Lo compro — I buy it
laher/it (f)La veo — I see her
nosusNos invitan — They invite us
losthem (m)Los necesito — I need them
lasthem (f)Las quiero — I want them

Indirect Object Pronouns

Indirect object pronouns indicate who receives the benefit or result of the action — the "to whom" or "for whom."

PronounMeaningExample
meto meMe da el libro — He gives me the book
teto youTe escribo — I write to you
leto him/her/youLe digo la verdad — I tell him the truth
nosto usNos enseña — She teaches us
lesto themLes hablo — I speak to them

Reflexive Pronouns

Reflexive pronouns are used when the subject and object are the same person — the action reflects back.

PronounExampleTranslation
meMe levantoI get up
teTe duchasYou shower
seSe visteHe/she gets dressed
nosNos sentamosWe sit down
seSe acuestanThey go to bed
Common reflexive verbs

Llamarse (to be called), levantarse (to get up), ducharse (to shower), vestirse (to get dressed), sentarse (to sit down), acostarse (to go to bed), despertarse (to wake up), lavarse (to wash oneself). These are daily routine verbs every beginner needs.

Practice Quiz

Choose the correct pronoun

"I see her every day." — ___ veo todos los días.

"He gives us the keys." — ___ da las llaves.

"They wash themselves." — ___ lavan cada mañana.

"She calls me every night." — ___ llama cada noche.

"We study together." — ___ estudiamos juntos.

"I give him the book." — ___ doy el libro.

"Do you like the movie?" — A ___ te gusta...

"They love us." — ___ quieren mucho.

"He tells them the truth." — ___ dice la verdad.

"She looks at herself." — ___ mira en el espejo.

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