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Spanish Personal Pronouns Overview
Spanish personal pronouns (also called subject pronouns) replace the names of people or things that perform actions. They tell us who is doing the action in a sentence.
Key Features:
- Replace nouns as the subject of sentences
- Often optional in Spanish (unlike English)
- Must match the verb conjugation
- Show person (1st, 2nd, 3rd) and number (singular, plural)
Important: Spanish verbs are conjugated differently for each pronoun, so the pronoun is often omitted when the meaning is clear.
Examples
Yo hablo español.
I speak Spanish.
Hablo español.
I speak Spanish. (pronoun omitted)
Ella estudia medicina.
She studies medicine.
Estudia medicina.
She studies medicine. (pronoun omitted)
Complete List of Spanish Personal Pronouns
Here are all the Spanish personal pronouns organized by person and number:
Singular Personal Pronouns
The singular forms refer to one person:
Singular Personal Pronouns
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| yo | I | first person singular |
| tú | you (informal) | second person singular |
| usted | you (formal) | second person formal |
| él | he | third person masculine |
| ella | she | third person feminine |
Yo trabajo en una oficina.
I work in an office.
Tú vives en Madrid.
You live in Madrid. (informal)
Usted habla muy bien.
You speak very well. (formal)
Él es mi hermano.
He is my brother.
Ella cocina delicioso.
She cooks deliciously.
Plural Personal Pronouns
The plural forms refer to more than one person:
Plural Personal Pronouns
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| nosotros/nosotras | we | first person plural |
| vosotros/vosotras | you all (informal) | second person plural (Spain) |
| ustedes | you all | second person plural (formal/Latin America) |
| ellos | they (masculine/mixed) | third person masculine plural |
| ellas | they (feminine) | third person feminine plural |
Nosotros estudiamos juntos.
We study together.
Vosotros sois de España.
You all are from Spain. (informal, Spain)
Ustedes trabajan mucho.
You all work a lot.
Ellos juegan fútbol.
They play soccer. (masculine/mixed group)
Ellas son profesoras.
They are teachers. (all women)
Gender in Personal Pronouns
Some Spanish personal pronouns change based on gender:
Nosotros vs. Nosotras (We)
Nosotros: Used for all-male groups or mixed groups
Nosotras: Used only for all-female groups
Nosotros somos estudiantes.
We are students. (all men or mixed group)
Nosotras somos estudiantes.
We are students. (all women)
Juan, María y yo → Nosotros
Juan, María and I → We (mixed, so masculine)
Ana, Carmen y yo → Nosotras
Ana, Carmen and I → We (all women)
Vosotros vs. Vosotras (You All - Spain)
Vosotros: Used for all-male groups or mixed groups (Spain only)
Vosotras: Used only for all-female groups (Spain only)
Note: In Latin America, "ustedes" is used instead of vosotros/vosotras.
Vosotros tenéis razón.
You all are right. (all men or mixed group, Spain)
Vosotras sois muy inteligentes.
You all are very intelligent. (all women, Spain)
Ustedes tienen razón.
You all are right. (Latin America - no gender distinction)
Ellos vs. Ellas (They)
Ellos: Used for all-male groups or mixed groups
Ellas: Used only for all-female groups
Ellos trabajan en el hospital.
They work in the hospital. (all men or mixed group)
Ellas son doctoras.
They are doctors. (all women)
Pedro y Ana → Ellos
Pedro and Ana → They (mixed, so masculine)
María y Carmen → Ellas
María and Carmen → They (all women)
Formal vs. Informal "You"
Spanish has different forms for "you" depending on the level of formality and region:
Tú vs. Usted (Singular You)
Tú: Informal "you" - used with friends, family, children, peers
Usted: Formal "you" - used with strangers, elders, authority figures
Important: Usted uses third-person verb forms (like él/ella).
Tú eres mi amigo.
You are my friend. (informal)
Usted es muy amable.
You are very kind. (formal)
¿Cómo estás tú?
How are you? (informal)
¿Cómo está usted?
How are you? (formal)
Vosotros vs. Ustedes (Plural You)
Vosotros/Vosotras: Informal "you all" - used only in Spain
Ustedes: Formal "you all" in Spain, all "you all" in Latin America
Regional Difference: Latin America doesn't use vosotros at all.
Vosotros sois fantásticos.
You all are fantastic. (informal, Spain only)
Ustedes son fantásticos.
You all are fantastic. (formal Spain / all Latin America)
¿Qué hacéis vosotros?
What are you all doing? (informal, Spain)
¿Qué hacen ustedes?
What are you all doing? (formal Spain / all Latin America)
When to Use Personal Pronouns
In Spanish, personal pronouns are often optional because the verb ending shows who is doing the action. However, there are specific times when you should use them:
When Pronouns Are Required
Use personal pronouns in these situations:
1. For emphasis or contrast
2. To avoid confusion
3. After certain words (también, tampoco, etc.)
4. In incomplete sentences
Yo trabajo, pero él no trabaja.
I work, but he doesn't work. (contrast)
Ella habla inglés y ella habla francés.
She speaks English and she speaks French. (clarity)
Yo también estudio español.
I also study Spanish. (after también)
¿Quién viene? Yo.
Who's coming? Me. (incomplete sentence)
When Pronouns Are Optional
You can omit pronouns when the meaning is clear from context:
(Yo) Hablo español.
I speak Spanish. (hablo clearly indicates "I")
(Nosotros) Vivimos en México.
We live in Mexico. (vivimos clearly indicates "we")
(Tú) Estudias mucho.
You study a lot. (estudias clearly indicates "you")
(Ellos) Trabajan juntos.
They work together. (trabajan clearly indicates "they")
Common Personal Pronoun Mistakes
Here are common mistakes Spanish learners make with personal pronouns:
Mistake 1: Overusing pronouns when not needed
Mistake 2: Using wrong formality level (tú vs. usted)
Mistake 3: Incorrect gender agreement (nosotros vs. nosotras)
Mistake 4: Confusing usted verb forms
Learning to avoid these mistakes will make your Spanish sound more natural.
Examples
❌ Yo hablo, yo como, yo trabajo → ✅ Hablo, como, trabajo
Wrong: I speak, I eat, I work → Right: (I) speak, (I) eat, (I) work
❌ Tú es muy amable → ✅ Tú eres muy amable / Usted es muy amable
Wrong: You is very kind → Right: You are very kind (informal/formal)
❌ Ana, María y yo → Nosotros → ✅ Ana, María y yo → Nosotras
Wrong: Ana, María and I → We (masc.) → Right: Ana, María and I → We (fem.)
❌ Usted tienes → ✅ Usted tiene
Wrong: You (formal) have → Right: You (formal) have