What are the Spanish Pronouns for Beginners?

When learning Spanish, one of the most important things to understand is the use of pronouns. Pronouns are used to replace nouns in a sentence, making it more concise and easier to understand. In Spanish, there are many different types of pronouns, each with its own unique purpose and usage. In this article I will teach you Spanish Subject Pronouns.

Spanish Subject Pronouns

Subject pronouns are used to indicate the subject of a sentence. In Spanish, here’s a table of the subject pronouns:

Pronoun	English Translation
yo	I
tú	you (informal)
él	he
ella	she
usted	you (formal)
vos	you (informal)
nosotros/nosotras	we
ellos / ellas	they
ustedes	you (plural)
vosotros / vosotras	you (plural)

In Spanish, subject pronouns are used to indicate who or what is performing the action of a verb. They can be classified by person, number, gender, and formality. Here are the six types of subject pronouns:

First Person Singular Examples

• Yo (I)

Examples:

• Yo hablo español. (I speak Spanish.)
• Yo soy de México. (I am from Mexico.)

Second Person Singular

• Tú (informal you)
• Vos (informal you) It is a pronoun used in Arg., Bol., Chile, Col., C. Rica, Ec., El Salv., Guat., Hond., Nic., Par., Ur. and Ven.
• Usted (formal you)

Examples:

• Tú eres mi amigo. (You are my friend.)
• Usted es muy amable. (You are very kind.)

Third Person Singular

• Él (he)
• Ella (she)
• Usted (formal you)

Examples:

• Él come una manzana. (He eats an apple.)
• Ella es muy inteligente. (She is very smart.)
• Usted trabaja mucho. (You work a lot.)

First Person Plural

• Nosotros/nosotras (we)

Examples:

• Nosotros estudiamos juntos. (We study together.)
• Nosotras somos amigas. (We are friends.)

Second Person Plural

• Vosotros/vosotras (informal you, Spain only)
• Ustedes (formal you, Latin America)

In Spanish, “vosotros” and “vosotras” are used as the informal second person plural pronouns primarily in Spain when addressing a group of individuals in a familiar or informal context. These pronouns are not commonly used in Latin America, where “ustedes” is generally used as the second person plural pronoun in both formal and informal contexts.

Examples:

• Vosotros sois muy divertidos. (You all are very fun.)
• Ustedes son muy amables. (You all are very kind.)

Third Person Plural

• Ellos (they, masculine)
• Ellas (they, feminine)
• Ustedes (formal you, plural)

Examples:

• Ellos juegan fútbol. (They play soccer.)
• Ellas estudian mucho. (They study a lot.)
• Ustedes trabajan en la misma empresa. (You all work at the same company.)

Remember to use the appropriate subject pronoun when speaking or writing in Spanish. This will help you communicate more clearly and effectively.

By using the appropriate type of pronoun in your sentences, you can make your speech more concise and clear. With practice, you will become more comfortable using Spanish pronouns and will be able to express yourself more fluently.

Common Mistakes with Spanish Pronouns

As a beginner, learning Spanish pronouns can be a bit confusing. Here are a few common mistakes to avoid:

Overusing Personal Pronouns

One of the most common mistakes beginners make is overusing personal pronouns. Personal pronouns are only relevant in specific scenarios, and using them too much can make your speech sound unnatural and clunky.

For example, instead of saying “Yo tengo hambre” (I am hungry), you can simply say “Tengo hambre” (I am hungry). The personal pronoun “yo” is not necessary in this case because the verb form “tengo” already indicates that the subject is “I”.

Forgetting to Match Pronouns with Nouns

It’s important to remember that Spanish pronouns must match the gender and number of the nouns they refer to. For example, if you’re talking about a group of female friends, you would use the feminine plural pronoun “ellas” instead of the masculine plural pronoun “ellos“.

Subject Pronouns Practise for Beginners

Match the pronoun with the sentence

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