A1 · Everyday structures
Tú, usted y vos
Getting this wrong does not make you unintelligible, it makes you sound rude or oddly stiff, which matters more in a family setting than any conjugation error. The rules are social rather than grammatical, and they vary by country and by generation.
The forms
| tú | usted | ustedes | vos | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| verb | hablas | habla | hablan | hablás |
| possessive | tu | su | su | tu |
| object | te | lo / la / le | los / las / les | te |
| where | most of Latin America, Spain | everywhere, formal | all plural in Latin America | Argentina, Uruguay, Costa Rica, parts of Colombia |
In Peru
Tú with friends, colleagues and anyone around your age. Usted with older people you have just met, with people serving you in formal settings, and in any situation where you want to show respect. Peruvians tend to be more formal than Spaniards and less formal than Colombians.
- A partner's parents at the first meeting: usted, and let them tell you to switch
- A shopkeeper you see every day: tú, often after the first visit
- Someone clearly older, even a neighbour: usted
- Children and teenagers: always tú
How the switch happens
The older or senior person offers it. Until they do, staying with usted is never rude; switching too early can be.
- Puedes tutearme.You can use tú with me.
- No me trates de usted, por favor.Please do not use usted with me.
No vosotros in Latin America
Spain uses vosotros for an informal plural. Peru and the rest of Latin America use ustedes for every plural you, formal or not. Learners in Peru can leave vosotros unlearned without any loss.
- ¿Ustedes vienen?Are you (plural) coming? · Peru
- ¿Vosotros venís?Are you (plural) coming? · Spain
Vos, so you can recognise it
You will not use it in Peru, but you will hear it in music and film. Its present tense keeps the stress on the ending and drops the stem change: vos podés, not vos puedes.
- ¿Vos qué hacés?What are you doing? · Argentina
- Vení un ratito.Come here a moment.
Mistakes to avoid
¿Usted tienes hijos?
¿Usted tiene hijos?
Usted takes the él ending, not the tú ending.
Señora, ¿cómo estás?
Señora, ¿cómo está?
Señora signals usted.
¿Vosotros quieren café? (en Perú)
¿Ustedes quieren café?
Latin America uses ustedes for every plural.
Try it
Señor, ¿___ vive por aquí?
¿Usted ___ español?
En Perú, para un grupo de amigos: ¿___ vienen?