Formal and informal you. When to use each, plus vos and vosotros.
| Tú (informal) | Usted (formal) | |
|---|---|---|
| Verb form | 2nd person singular | 3rd person singular |
| Example | ¿Cómo estás? | ¿Cómo está usted? |
| Possessive | tu casa | su casa |
| Object pronoun | te | le / lo / la |
| Abbreviation | — | Ud. / Vd. |
Friends and peers
Family members
Children
People your age in casual settings
Pets
Online and social media
Strangers (especially older)
Elderly people
Authorities (police, judges)
Doctors, professors
Job interviews
Customer service (often)
Tú tienes → Vos tenés
Tú puedes → Vos podés
Tú hablas → Vos hablás
Verb stress shifts to last syllable. Understood everywhere, used regionally.
¿Vosotros queréis ir? (Do you all want to go? — friends, Spain)
¿Ustedes quieren ir? (Do you all want to go? — formal, Spain)
Latin America: ustedes for everything — no vosotros at all.
It's better to be too formal than too informal. The other person will say "tutéame" (use tú with me) if they prefer tú. In a work setting, follow the lead of locals.
1. To a friend: ¿Cómo _____?
2. To an elderly stranger: ¿Cómo _____?
3. Usted uses which verb form?
4. "Your house" (formal) = _____ casa.
5. In Latin America, "you all" = _____.
6. Vos tenés is used in _____.
7. When in doubt, start with _____.
8. "Tú hablas" with vos becomes _____.
9. Vosotros is used in _____.
10. If someone says "tutéame", they want you to use _____.
Free tools for translation, text-to-speech and language learning.