Personal pronouns in Spanish

A personal pronoun is a short word we use as a simple substitute for the proper name of a person (or animal or thing). They allow us to avoid the repetition of proper names.

In this lesson we will learn the personal pronouns in Spanish.

Singular personal pronoun

• Yo - I
• Tú - You
• Él - He
• Ella - She

In Argentina, Uruguay and other South American countries "vos" is used instead of "tú".

Formal and informal pronouns

While in informal situations we use "tú" or "vos" when we speak to someone in a formal way we use "usted".

What about the pronoun "it"?

In English the use of the pronoun "it" is very common to refer to objects or animals. In Spanish the third person singular has the neutral form "ello". However, its use is very restricted. You must use "el" or "ellas" depending on the gender of the object or animal.

Plural personal pronouns

• Nosotros / Nosotras- We
• Vosotros / Vosotras- You
• Ellos / Ellas - They

The pronoun "vosotros" is used only in Spain. Other countries use "ustedes".

In summary