Speaking of you

The fact that Spanish has four pronouns that mean "you" — tú, usted, vosotros and ustedes — is often a source of confusion for Spanish students. Differentiating between the singular and plural is one matter (after all, they're the ones that end in -s), but knowing when to use the familiar form (tú and vosotros) instead of the formal pronouns (usted and ustedes) can be a bit more confusing. Unlike some grammatical mistakes, which make it sound like you don't know grammar, a mistake in choosing the wrong pronoun can come across as impolite or even insulting. Learn more...