Subject Pronouns in Spanish | Chart & Examples
The subject pronouns in Spanish vary based on number, person, gender, and intended formality.
Pronouns replace nouns, and subject pronouns replace nouns that act as subjects, performing the action of the sentence. These differ from direct object pronouns, which replace the direct object (and receive the action in the sentence).
Just like in English, subject pronouns are different from direct object pronouns in Spanish.
Subject pronoun | English translation | Example of subject pronoun in a sentence | English translation |
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Yo | I | ¡Hola! Yo soy Lia. | Hi! I’m Lia. |
Tú | You (singular, informal) | Tú tienes dos gatos. | You have two cats. |
Vos | You (singular, informal) | Vos sos argentino. | You are Argentinian. |
Usted | You (singular, formal) | Usted es un profesor excelente. | You are a great professor. |
El, ella | He, she | Él come ensalada todos los días. | He eats salad every day. |
Nosotros, nosotras | We | Nosotros vamos a España cada verano. | We go to Spain each summer. |
Vosotros, vosotras | You (plural, informal) | Vosotros estáis muy cansados. | You’re very tired. |
Ustedes | You (plural, informal or formal) | Ustedes tienen una reserva para tres noches. | You have a reservation for three nights. |
Ellos, ellas | They | Ellos quieren adoptar a un perro. | They want to adopt a dog. |
Spanish subject pronouns
The Spanish subject pronouns go before the verb in affirmative and negative statements. In questions, the subject pronoun generally goes after the verb, but in informal spoken Spanish, you may hear it before as well.
Any adjectives used to describe a subject pronoun must agree with the subject in number and gender. For example, to say “she is tall,” you’d have to say “ella es alta,” not “ella es alto.”
Yo
Yo is used when “I” is the subject of the sentence.
Yo no soy abogado. [I am not a lawyer.]
¿Cuándo voy yo? [When do I go?]
Tú
Tú is used when “you” in the singular informal is the subject of the sentence.
Lo siento, pero tú no has ganado. [I’m sorry, but you haven’t won.]
¿Quién eres tú? [Who are you?]
Vos
Vos is another subject pronoun used to express “you” in the informal singular. Vos replaces tú in some parts of Latin America. Vos is very common in Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay. It’s also used in Chile, Central America, and regions of Bolivia and Mexico.
Vos no cantás muy bien. [You don’t sing very well.]
¿Hoy pagás vos? [Are you paying today?]
Usted
Usted is used when “you” in the singular formal is the subject of the sentence. Usted is used to show respect to the person you’re addressing, but the exact contextes in which to use it vary across the Spanish-speaking world.
Usted no puede fumar aquí. [You cannot smoke here.]
¿Puede usted ayudarme con esto? [Can you help me with this?]
Él, ella
Él and ella are used when “he” or “she” are the subject of the sentence, respectively. Él and ella can only be used to refer to people. To refer to objects, drop the subject pronoun or use a demonstrative pronoun (e.g., “esto” meaning “that”).
Ella no tiene coche. [She doesn’t have a car.]
¿Va él a la fiesta? [Is he going to the party?]
Nosotros, nosotras
Nosotros and nosotras are used when “we” is the subject of the sentence. For all-female groups, use nosotras. For all-male or mixed-gender groups, use nosotros.
Nosotras no somos hermanas. [We are not sisters.]
¿Recogemos nosotros el regalo? [Should we pick up the gift?]
Vosotros, vosotras
Vosotros and vosotras are used when “you” in the plural informal is the subject of the sentence. Vosotras is for all-female groups; vosotros is for all-male or mixed-gender groups.
Vosotros/as is only used in Spain; in Latin America, ustedes is used for both the informal and formal plural “you.”
Vosotros no habéis aprobado el examen. [You (plural) haven’t passed the exam.]
¿Qué queréis vosotros? [What do you (plural) want?]
Ustedes
Ustedes is used when “you” plural is the subject of the sentence. In Spain, ustedes is only used in formal contexts. In Latin America, it’s always used as the plural “you.”
Ustedes no comen carne, ¿no? [You (plural) don’t eat meat, right?]
¿Cuál prefieren ustedes? [Which do you (plural) prefer?]
Ellos, ellas
Ellos and ellas is used when “they” is the subject of the sentence. Ellos is for all-male and mixed-gender groups, and ellas is for all-female groups.
Unlike él and ella, you can use ellos and ellas to refer to inanimate objects. However, to do this, the object must have been previously mentioned.
Ellos no son mis amigos. [They are not my friends.]
¿De dónde es ella? [Where is she from?]
- Ell@s
- Elles
- Ellxs
The “@,” “e,” and “x” all work as gender-neutral endings. The same can be applied to nouns and adjectives, which are also gendered in Spanish (e.g., “amig@s,” “todes,” and “Latinx”).
When to use subject pronouns in Spanish
In Spanish, you do not have to include the subject pronoun, as the subject is implicit in the verb. For example, “Yo soy Lia” means exactly the same as “Soy Lia.” The conjugation “soy” shows that “I” is the subject.
However, there are some cases where you should use Spanish subject pronouns.
Reason | Spanish example | English translation |
---|---|---|
Subject is unclear from the verb alone | Tanto Roberto como Paula son deportistas; él juega a tenis y ella juega a fútbol. | Both Roberto and Paula are athletes; he plays tenis and she plays soccer. |
Making comparisons | Rosa es más alta que tú. | Rosa is taller than you. |
Emphasizing the subject (especially for opinions) | Yo creo que Whitney Houston es la mejor cantante de toda la historia. | I think that Whitney Houston is the best singer of all time. |
Emphasizing contrast | Mi hermana va en coche, pero nosotros tenemos que ir en bus. | My sister is going by car, but we have to go by bus. |
Spanish subject pronouns worksheet
Test your understanding by choosing the correct Spanish subject pronoun for each question in this worksheet.
Frequently asked questions about subject pronouns in Spanish?
- How do you say we in Spanish?
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To say “we” in Spanish, use the pronoun “nosotros.” This is one of the subject pronouns in Spanish, which replace nouns working as subjects.
Spanish is a gendered language. “Nosotros” is for all-male or mixed-gender groups, and “nosotras” is for all-female groups.
For example:
- Nosotros limpiamos la casa. [We clean the house.]
- Nosotras somos hermanas. [We are sisters.]
A QuillBot grammar check can make sure you use “nosotros” and other pronouns correctly in Spanish.
- How do you say you in Spanish?
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To say “you” in Spanish, there are a few options. The one to use depends on if the subject is singular or plural and if you’re speaking formally or not.
Saying “you” in Spanish Pronoun Singular or plural Informal or formal Regional usage Tú Singular Informal All Vos Singular Informal Parts of Latin America Usted Singular Formal All Vosotros Plural Informal Spain Ustedes Plural Both Spain (formal) Latin America (informal)
A QuillBot grammar check can make sure you use subject pronouns in Spanish correctly.
- How do you say he in Spanish?
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To say “he” in Spanish, use the pronoun “él.”
Make sure to include the accent mark on the “e.” “El” (without the accent) is the determiner “the” for masculine nouns.
A QuillBot grammar check can make sure you use determiners and subject pronouns in Spanish correctly.
- How do you say she in Spanish?
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To say “she” in Spanish, use the pronoun “ella.”
For example: “Ella es la estrella de la película” [“She is the star of the film”].
This is one of the third-person singular subject pronouns in Spanish; the other is “él,” or “he.”
A QuillBot grammar check can make sure you use these words correctly, even in Spanish.
- How do you say they in Spanish?
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To say “they” in Spanish, use “ellos” for all-male or mixed-gender groups and “ellas” for all-female groups.
Spanish subject pronouns must agree with the gender of the nouns they replace. Any adjectives used to describe these pronouns must also agree in gender.
For example: “Ellos están cansados” [“They are tired”].
Use the QuillBot Grammar Checker to make sure your writing is error-free, even in Spanish.