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.

Spanish subject pronouns chart
Subject pronoun English translation Example of subject pronoun in a sentence English translation
Yo I ¡Hola! Yo soy Lia. Hi! I’m Lia.
You (singular, informal) 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.

Subject pronoun “yo” examples
Yo soy estadounidense. [I am American.]

Yo no soy abogado. [I am not a lawyer.]

¿Cuándo voy yo? [When do I go?]

is used when “you” in the singular informal is the subject of the sentence.

Subject pronoun “tú” examples
eres Marco, ¿no? [You’re Marco, right?]

Lo siento, pero no has ganado. [I’m sorry, but you haven’t won.]

¿Quién eres ? [Who are you?]

Vos

Vos is another subject pronoun used to express “you” in the informal singular. Vos replaces 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.

Subject pronoun “vos” examples
Vos sos mi mejor amigo. [You’re my best friend.]

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.

Subject pronoun “usted” examples
Usted tiene una carta. [You have a letter.]

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”).

Subject pronouns “él” and “ella” examples
Él es mi hermano. [He is my brother.]

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.

Subject pronouns “nosotros” and “nosotras” examples
Nosotros comemos carne. [We eat meat.]

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.”

Subject pronouns “vosotros” and “vosotras” examples
Vosotras sois chicas muy listas. [You are very smart girls.]

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.”

Subject pronoun “ustedes” examples
Ustedes tienen la misma chaqueta. [You (plural) have the same jacket.]

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.

Subject pronoun “ellos” and “ellas” examples
Las sillas son nuevas. Ellas son muy cómodas. [The chairs are new. They are very comfortable.]

Ellos no son mis amigos. [They are not my friends.]

¿De dónde es ella? [Where is she from?]

Note
In contemporary Spanish, people sometimes modify these subject pronouns to be more gender inclusive. For example, instead of saying “ellos” when referring to mixed-gender groups, people may write:

  • 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.

When to use subject pronouns in Spanish
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 . 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?

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?

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
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?

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?

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?

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.

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Kate Santoro, BS

Kate has a BS in journalism. She has taught English as a second language in Spain to students of all ages for a decade. She also has experience in content management and marketing.