The main rule
The ending of the verb shows the person: hablo, hablas, habla. So Spanish usually drops yo, tú, él and the rest, and says Tengo dos hermanos. Add the pronoun only to contrast, to stress or to make clear who. There is no pronoun for "it": say Es grande.
The pronouns and the verb endings
| Pronoun | hablar | ser | tener |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | hablo | soy | tengo |
| tú | hablas | eres | tienes |
| él, ella, usted | habla | es | tiene |
| nosotros, nosotras | hablamos | somos | tenemos |
| vosotros, vosotras | habláis | sois | tenéis |
| ellos, ellas, ustedes | hablan | son | tienen |
Read the table down a column: each person has its own ending, so the pronoun adds almost nothing. Three pronouns share one verb form, and that is where you need context: habla can be he, she or you (formal); hablan can be they or you (formal plural); hablamos is we, men or women.
English needs the subject in every sentence ("Speak Spanish" is an order, not "I speak Spanish"), but Spanish does not: Hablo español is complete. English also has one "you" and no pronoun gender in the plural, and "it" is a normal subject ("It is big"). Spanish has two ways to say "you" for one person (tú, usted), and for several people (vosotros, ustedes), and it has no subject "it" at all. Do not translate every "I", "he" and "it" into a pronoun: that is understandable, but it sounds heavy.
Examples
- Hablo español y trabajo aquí. I speak Spanish and I work here.
- ¿Tienes un hermano? Do you have a brother?
- Yo trabajo aquí y ella estudia. I work here and she studies.
- Ana es profesora. Tiene dos hijos. Ana is a teacher. She has two children.
- ¿Usted habla inglés? Do you speak English? (formal)
- Ustedes son clientes del hotel. You are guests at the hotel. (formal, several people)
- Nosotras somos amigas. We are friends. (all women)
- La caja es grande. Está en la mesa. The box is big. It is on the table.
- Él trabaja en un banco, pero yo estudio. He works at a bank, but I study.
- Ellos van a casa. They are going home.
When the subject is left out and when it is kept
Without a pronoun the sentence is normal and complete: Estudio en Madrid. With a pronoun it is still correct, never "wrong", but it carries a signal. Keep the pronoun in three cases: contrast (Yo trabajo, tú estudias), emphasis (¿Quién es? - Soy yo), and when the form does not tell who is meant (Ella tiene un perro, él no). If the context already names the person, leave it out: Ana es profesora. Trabaja en una escuela.
There is no subject "it"
For things and ideas Spanish uses just the verb: Es grande. Está en la mesa. Tiene dos puertas. Do not look for a word: *Lo es grande* and *Ello es grande* are not what you want. As subjects, él and ella are normally used for people; to name a thing, repeat the noun: La mesa es grande.
Tú or usted
Tú is informal: a friend, a classmate, a child, a family member. Usted is formal: a stranger, a client, a hotel receptionist, a job interviewer, an older person you do not know. The important point: usted takes the verb form of él and ella, not of tú. So ¿Usted tiene una reserva?, not *Usted tienes*. When in doubt in a shop or at work, start with usted. Many people will then ask you to use tú.
Plural "you": vosotros and ustedes
In Spain, vosotros (vosotras) is plural "you" for friends and family: Vosotros tenéis razón. In Latin America people say ustedes for every group, and ustedes takes the ellos form: Ustedes tienen. In Spain ustedes is the formal plural, as in Ustedes son los clientes. For a group you speak to politely, ustedes is right everywhere. In Latin America you will not hear vosotros in daily speech, but you read it in books and subtitles.
Groups, accents and vos
Nosotras, vosotras and ellas are for groups of only women. A mixed group, or one man with many women, takes the masculine form: Ana y Pablo, ellos. The masculine form is also the default when you do not say who is in the group. Two pronouns carry a written accent that sets them apart from another word: él (he) and el (the), tú (you) and tu (a possessive, a later topic). Compare Él es mi hermano and El hermano es alto. In Argentina, Uruguay and parts of Central America you will hear vos instead of tú: vos sos = tú eres, vos tenés = tú tienes. Recognise it; use tú.
A quick habit
Start with the verb. Say Soy Marta, Tengo veinte años, Trabajo aquí. Add yo only when someone else is also in the sentence (Yo trabajo, tú estudias). If you are unsure between tú and usted, ask yourself whether you would use first names with this person.
Typical mistakes
Lo es grande.Es grande. Spanish has no subject pronoun for "it"; the verb alone is the sentence.Usted tienes dos hermanos.Usted tiene dos hermanos. Usted takes the él / ella form of the verb, never the tú form.Ustedes tenéis una reserva.Ustedes tienen una reserva. Ustedes takes the ellos form; tenéis goes with vosotros.El es mi hermano.Él es mi hermano. The pronoun he has an accent. El without it is the article "the".Tu eres de Madrid.Tú eres de Madrid. The pronoun you has an accent; tu without it is a different word.Ellos son Ana y Lucía.Ellas son Ana y Lucía. A group of only women takes the feminine ellas.Nosotros hablo español.Nosotros hablamos español. Nosotros needs the ending -amos; hablo goes with yo.
Questions and answers
Do I always have to leave out yo and tú in Spanish?
No. Both are correct. Without the pronoun is the usual way, and with it the sentence adds contrast, emphasis or clarity: Yo trabajo aquí y ella estudia.
What is the Spanish word for "it"?
There is none as a subject. Spanish uses only the verb: Es grande. Está en la mesa. Nothing goes before it.
When do I use usted instead of tú?
Use usted with strangers, clients, older people you do not know, and in formal places such as a hotel or a job interview. It takes the él / ella verb form: usted habla, usted tiene.
Is it vosotros or ustedes for plural "you"?
In Spain, vosotros for friends and family, ustedes in formal situations. In Latin America, ustedes for every group. Ustedes always takes the ellos form: ustedes tienen.
Why is there an accent on él and tú?
The accent separates them from other words: él (he) from el (the), and tú (you) from tu (a possessive). Say them the same; only the spelling differs.
What is vos?
A form of "you" used instead of tú in Argentina, Uruguay and parts of Central America: vos sos, vos tenés. At A1 learn to recognise it and keep using tú.