Spanish Subject Pronouns - Definition, Examples
Subject pronouns identify who performs the action of a verb. Spanish has a distinct pronoun for each grammatical person, and they underpin every verb conjugation.
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| First | yo (I) | nosotros / nosotras (we) |
| Second (informal) | tú (you) | vosotros / vosotras (you all, Spain) |
| Second (formal) | usted (you) | ustedes (you all) |
| Third | él / ella (he / she) | ellos / ellas (they) |
Formality: Tú and Usted
Spanish distinguishes formality in the second person. Tú is informal, used with friends, family and peers, while usted is polite or respectful, used with strangers, elders and in formal settings. In the plural, Spain uses vosotros as the informal "you all", whereas most of Latin America uses ustedes for all plural "you", formal or not.
Dropping the Pronoun
Spanish frequently leaves out the subject pronoun altogether, because the verb ending already shows who is acting. Hablo español means "I speak Spanish" on its own, so adding yo is optional and usually kept only for emphasis or contrast, as in Yo hablo español, pero él no (I speak Spanish, but he doesn't).