Master the 12 Spanish Subject Pronouns

51

Spanish subject pronouns are often among the first concepts you’ll learn in formal studies of Spanish grammar. These 12 easy-to-learn words can introduce you to the difference between singular and plural, masculine and feminine, and formal and informal speech. 

Understanding subject pronouns in Spanish helps you unlock patterns for conjugating verbs and putting together more advanced sentence structures that will help you learn Spanish. In short, they form a worthwhile list of words to master! This guide will take you through the 12 main subject pronouns, how they’re used in a sentence, and why they can be omitted entirely. 

What is a subject pronoun? 

A pronombre personal de sujeto (subject pronoun) is an important part of speech in Spanish, and an essential type of Spanish pronouns. We can break down the term into its two parts to identify how they work. 

• El sujeto (the subject) of a sentence is who or what is performing the action of the sentence. 
• El pronombre (the pronoun) is a word that replaces a noun to avoid repetition.

Putting it together, a subject pronoun is a word that replaces a specific noun or a proper noun (like a name) when it’s performing the action of the sentence. Unlike in English, if we already know who we’re referring to in the context, we may omit the subject pronoun entirely in Spanish. 

• Julia toca dos instrumentos. = Julia plays two instruments. (Proper noun.)
• Ella habla tres idiomas. = She speaks three languages. (Subject pronoun.) 
• Habla tres idiomas. = She speaks three languages. (Verb with subject pronoun omitted.)

Spanish subject pronouns and their meanings

This chart gives the English equivalents of the subject pronouns in Spanish. Note that multiple Spanish subject pronouns are equivalent to some English words, because of differences in gender (masculine/feminine), number (singular/plural), and register (formal/informal). You’ll learn these specifics further in this post. 

Why can Spanish subject pronouns be omitted? 

When you read and listen to authentic Spanish, you’ll notice that most of the time, the subject pronoun isn’t present at all. This is because of conjugated verb forms in Spanish. In most cases, the verb ending is going to tell you the subject of the sentence as well. Spanish subject pronouns are used for emphasis or clarification if the context or the verb wouldn’t otherwise make it clear.

When to use Spanish subject pronouns, with examples

In the following breakdown, you’ll learn that some subject pronouns are: 

• First person, second person, or third person (person) 
• masculine or feminine (gender)
• singular or plural (number) 
• formal or informal (register) 

Some subject pronouns are only used in certain regions of the Spanish-speaking world, and a few are used differently depending on the context.

Yo (I) 

Yo means “I.” It’s first person because you’re talking about yourself, and singular since you’re referring to only one person. There’s no distinction for masculine vs. feminine or formal vs. informal speech.  

• Yo no quiero ir a la fiesta. = I don’t want to go to the party. 
• Yo puedo nadar. = I can swim. 
• Recuerda que yo tengo alergias. = Remember that I have allergies. 

Like all Spanish subject pronouns, yo can be omitted because the conjugation of the verb indicates the subject of the sentence. 

• No quiero ir a la fiesta. = I don’t want to go to the party. 
• Recuerda que tengo alergias. = Remember that I have allergies. 

Tú (you) 

Tú is one of multiple ways to say “you” in Spanish. It’s classified as second person, because you’re addressing another person. It’s also singular. You would only use this form of “you” to address one single person. There’s no distinction for masculine/feminine. 

Tú is considered informal or casual. The Real Academia Española notes that tú is used in Spain and in many regions of the Americas, and it: 

• “implica acercamiento” (implies closeness)
• “se usa en contextos familiares, informales, o de confianza” (is used in familiar, informal, or atmospheres of trust). 

The subject pronoun can follow the verb in a question, or come before the verb. 

• ¿De dónde eres tú? = Where are you from? 
• Tú regresas mañana, ¿no? = You’re coming back tomorrow, right? 
• Tú me dices cuando tienes que irte. = You let me know when you have to leave. 

Tú can be omitted without changing the meaning of the sentence. 

• ¿De dónde eres? = Where are you from? 
• Regresas mañana, ¿no? = You come back tomorrow, right? 

Tú is spelled with an accent over the “u,” which distinguishes it from tu (your).

>>In many regions, speakers prefer the Spanish voseo instead of tú. Learn how to use it!  

Usted (you) 

Usted is another way to say “you.” It’s singular, so you only use it to address one person at a time. Even though the translation “you” in English is second person, usted in Spanish uses third person conjugations. There’s no difference between masculine/feminine. 

In contrast to tú, usted is formal. The Real Academia Española notes that usted is typically used:

• “para el tratamiento formal” (for formal address)

and that it implies:

• “cierto distanciamiento, cortesía, y formalidad.” (a certain distance, courtesy, and formality.) 

Usted can come before the conjugated verb in a declarative sentence, or after the verb in a question. 

• Usted está aquí. = You are here. 
• ¿Cómo está usted? = How are you? 
• Usted necesita tomar más agua. = You need to drink more water. 

The abbreviation, Ud., is always capitalized, even in the middle of a sentence. 

• ¿A qué hora llegará Ud. el sábado? = What time will you arrive on Saturday? 

Usted can be omitted, since the conjugation will indicate the formality of your speech, but include it when it’s not clear by the context and could be confused for another form. 

• ¿A qué hora llegará el sábado? = What time will you arrive on Saturday? 

Tú vs. usted

The reality of whether to use usted vs. tú in Spanish is cultural in nature. In some regions of Colombia, for example, tú is not even used with family, with usted preferred in almost all cases. In Spain, you’re more likely to use tú with strangers, such as servers in restaurants, or with your teachers, unless they’re elderly or the situation is very formal. However, the “textbook” answer to when to use tú vs. usted is usually as follows. 

Use tú when you’re speaking with:

• family
• close friends
• children/someone younger than you
• people with whom you’re on a first name basis in casual settings
• animals

Use usted with: 

• a person in a position of authority
• someone you don’t know well
• anyone whom you would address as “Sir” or “Ma’am”
• a person in a formal situation 

In some situations, the use of tú and usted can be fluid. For example, a tour guide might address a bus driver with usted when discussing business, but switch to tú when just chatting casually. If you’re wondering which one to use in a specific situation, considering meeting with a Rosetta Stone tutor for expert advice from all across the Spanish-speaking world.

Generally speaking, you can’t go wrong by using usted with someone you’re meeting for the first time, someone older than you, or in a formal transaction. You’ll be understood and appreciated for being respectful. Once you get to know someone, they might give you permission to tutear/tratar de tú (to use tú when addressing them casually). 

Él (he) 

Él means “he.” Use it to replace the name of one man or boy in a sentence. It’s third person, since you’re talking about the subject, but not addressing him. Él is also singular, so use it only when you’re talking about one person. 

Él can also replace a masculine noun in Spanish. 

• Él trabaja en la biblioteca. = He works in the library. 
• Busco un libro en la biblioteca. Él cuesta demasiado en la librería. = I’m looking for a book in the library. It costs too much in the bookstore. 

More often than not, in the examples above, the pronoun would be included only when needed for clarity. In the example below, you’d include él to distinguish between “he” and “she” (Lucas and Marta) since they use the same verb form. 

• Te presento a mis primos Lucas y Marta. Él trabaja en la biblioteca. = These are my cousins Lucas and Marta. He works in the library.

Él has an accent on the “e,” which distinguishes it from el (the). 

Ella (she) 

Ella means “she” and follows all of the same patterns as él except it’s feminine and used for a woman, girl, or to replace a feminine noun. Ella is third person and singular. 

• Ella trabaja en la librería. = She works in the bookshop.
• Busco una revista en la biblioteca. Ella cuesta demasiado en la librería. = I’m looking for a magazine in the library. It costs too much in the bookstore. 

While not needed when the context is clear who you’re talking about, you’d include ella here to clarify that you’re speaking about Marta, because the verb form could be used for either Lucas or Marta. 

• Te presento a mis primos Lucas y Marta. Ella trabaja en la librería. = These are my cousins Lucas and Marta. She works in the bookstore.

Nosotros/nosotras (we)

Both nosotros and nosotras mean we. They are first person, because the speaker/writer is a part of the subject. Nosotros is used with any group of people, but nosotras is reserved for all-female groups. 

• Nosotros hablamos español. = We speak Spanish. 
• Nosotras somos hermanas. = We are sisters. 

Both of these pronouns can replace a specific noun that includes y yo (and I).  

• Mi hermana y yo somos creativas. = My sister and I are creative.
• Nosotras apreciamos mucho la música. = We really appreciate music.

Vosotros/vosotras (you) 

Often left out of educational materials except for those based in Peninsular Spanish, vosotros/vosotras is a second-person form still used today in Spain, but not in common use elsewhere. These pronouns are plural. Use it in Spain to address multiple people. There’s a masculine form and a feminine form, with vosotras only for when the group you’re addressing is all female, and vosotros otherwise being the default. 

These pronouns are considered informal or casual, with ustedes preferred in Spain in all of the same contexts where usted would replace tú. 

• ¿Vosotras vais a tomar un cafe? = Are you going to have a coffee?
• Vosotros sois muy listos. = You are very clever. 

The sentence maintains its meaning with the pronoun omitted: 

• Sois muy listos. = You are very clever. 

Ellos/ellas (they) 

Ellos (they) is the third person plural. It’s used to talk about any group of people, except if the group is entirely female. There’s no difference in formal vs. informal. 

• Ellos juegan mañana a las siete. = They play tomorrow at seven. 
• Ellos son respetuosos. = They are respectful. 

The subject pronoun may be omitted. 

• Juegan mañana a las siete. = They play tomorrow at seven. 

Ellas (they) is the third-person plural used to talk about a group of people that’s entirely female. It’s the same in formal vs. informal speech. 

• Ellas juegan el sábado a las siete. = They play Saturday at seven. 
• Ellas son trabajadoras. = They are hard-working.

Without the subject pronoun, as long as the subject is known, there’s no difference in meaning.

• Son trabajadoras. = They are hard-working.

Ustedes (you) 

Ustedes (you) is the way to address a group of people in all countries. In Spain, it’s considered formal. In other regions there are no differences between formal and informal, since vosotros/vosotras isn’t used. There’s no distinction between masculine and feminine. 

Even though “you” is second person in English, in Spanish, ustedes uses third-person forms for subject-verb agreement. 

• Ustedes pueden empezar ahora. = You (all) can begin now. 
• Ustedes no tienen que pagar. = You (all) don’t have to pay. 

As with other subject pronouns in Spanish, as long as the subject is clear, this pronoun can be omitted. 

• No tienen que pagar. = You don’t have to pay. 

How can Spanish subject pronouns help you learn Spanish?

Understanding how each of the subject pronouns in Spanish fits into the categories of person and number is crucial for learning subject-verb agreement, or conjugation of common Spanish verbs. Consider the different forms of the verb tener (to have).

Since the subject pronoun is often omitted, you’ll frequently be using the form of the verb to identify the subject of the sentence. 

• Tenemos un perro. = We have a dog. 

Knowing the characteristics of each of the subject pronouns in Spanish will also help you achieve noun-adjective agreement, since adjectives must agree with the noun they’re describing in both gender and number. 

• Él es creativo. = He is creative.
• Ellas son creativas. = They are creative. 

Once you know the subject pronouns and their characteristics, it’s easier to connect them to other types of pronouns you’ll encounter, such as reflexive pronouns. 

Key Takeaways

• Subject pronouns are words that replace a noun as the subject of a sentence. 
• Choose the subject pronoun according to person (first/second/third), gender (masculine/feminine), number (singular/plural), and register (formal/informal).
• Spanish subject pronouns can be omitted when the subject is clear from the context and the verb ending. 
• Knowing the subject pronouns in Spanish is a great foundation for understanding verb conjugation and other grammar structures in Spanish. 
• There are regional differences in how subject pronouns are commonly used.