Modern Spanish Grammar: A Practical Guide

(b) The tuteo system (this is the ‘standard’ usage in most other Latin-American

countries):

Usted and ustedes are often abbreviated to Vd., Vds. or Ud., Uds. in writing. They take

a third person verb form everywhere (see 16.1).

Usted no es de aquí, ¿verdad?

You’re not from here, are you?

¡Salgan ustedes!

Go out! (pl.)

Vos in the Río de la Plata area has its own special set of verb forms (see 16.1).

Y vos ¿a qué hora comés?

And what time do you eat?

(Vos) sos un ingrato.

You’re an ungrateful wretch.

In all of Latin America and in many parts of Andalusia, the vosotros/-as form is not

used, and so the polite/familiar distinction is not made in the plural: ustedes (with a

third person plural verb form) is the only way of expressing the second person plural.

Because vosotros/as is nowadays quite frequently used in Spain, this is a major

difference between Latin America and Spain. Latin American speakers often sound

very formal to Peninsular speakers (and conversely, the vosotros forms of Peninsular

Spanish sound archaic in Latin America).

8.1.3 The endings of Spanish verbs are sufficient in themselves to indicate the person of the
subject, and subject pronouns do not always need to be used:
Acabamos de llegar.
We’ve just arrived.
They are used for emphasis and contrast, to avoid ambiguity (especially with third
person verb forms, which may be understood as havingél, ella or usted as their
subject), or, especially with usted, to add a nuance of politeness (see 34 ):
Soy inglés, pero él es escocés.
I’m English, but he’s Scottish.
¡Que conteste ella!
Lether answer!
Él es de Madrid.
He’s from Madrid.

Singular Plural

2nd person familiar vos ustedes

2nd person polite usted ustedes

Singular Plural

2nd person familiar tú ustedes

2nd person polite usted ustedes

Subject pronouns 8.1