Subject pronouns: yo, tú, él, ella…
A1Grammar path · Lesson 6 of 86 · Stage A1 · Talking about people
Subject pronouns name who performs the action: yo (I), tú (you, informal), él (he), ella (she), usted (you, formal), nosotros/nosotras (we), ustedes (you all), ellos/ellas (they). Unlike English, the Spanish verb ending already shows the person, so natives usually drop the pronoun: hablo alone means 'I speak'. You add the pronoun to emphasize, to contrast two people, or to clarify when a verb form is ambiguous, since él, ella and usted share the same verb form. The most common confusion is tú versus usted: use tú with friends and family, usted with strangers or older people.
Practise this lesson · 10 sentences
Form
pronombre + verbo conjugadopronombre + no + verbo conjugado¿verbo conjugado + pronombre...?pronombre + también / tampocoWhen to use it
Emphasis or contrast
Add the pronoun to highlight who does what, especially when contrasting two people.
Clarifying an ambiguous verb
Forms like 'es' or 'habla' can mean he, she or formal you, so the pronoun tells the listener who is meant.
Standing alone or after ser
A pronoun can stand alone or follow 'ser' to answer who, or to identify yourself.
Subject pronouns
Don't confuse it with
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to use a pronoun like yo before the verb?
No. The verb ending already shows the person, so hablo alone means 'I speak'. Add yo only for emphasis or contrast.
Is there a Spanish subject pronoun for it?
There is no everyday subject pronoun for 'it'; you just use the verb: Es caro means 'It is expensive'.
When do I use nosotras and ellas?
Use them when the whole group is female. If the group includes at least one male, use nosotros and ellos.
What is the difference between ustedes and vosotros?
In Latin America, ustedes is the only 'you all', formal or informal. Vosotros is used only in Spain for informal groups.
Which verb form goes with usted?
Usted takes the third-person singular verb, like él and ella: usted tiene, usted vive.