Choosing the Right Person of Verb

There are a number of instances where Spanish uses a different person of verb than English speakers might expect. These include cases where a person is referring to himself or herself, where someone is referred to by "it" in English, and where the speaker is including himself or herself as the subject of a sentence.

These instances are perhaps best illustrated by example. Note the verb forms in boldface:

• Hablo Susana. (This is Susana speaking. Note that Spanish uses the first-person verb.)
• ¿Quién es? — Soy yo. (Who is it? It is I — or, in informal English, it is me. The first-person verb must be used when referring to oneself in this way.)
• El mejor cantante eres tú. (The best singer is you. Note that Spanish uses the second-person verb.)
• ¿Tienes fría mi hijita? (Speaking to one's daughter: Is my little girl cold? Because the reference is to the person being spoken to, the second-person verb must be used.)
• Tú y yo podemos ganar. (You and I can win. This is the first-person plural form.)
• Él y yo te amamos. (He and I love you. Again, the first-person plural is used.)
• ¿Por qué las mujeres vamos juntas al baño? (Why do we women go together to the bathroom? This use of the first-person plural is the construction usually used when speaking as the member of a group.)
• Los españoles pasamos la nochevieja con la familia. (We Spaniards spend New Year's Eve with our families. Again, the first-person plural is used.)
• Ni yo ni nadie podemos decirte lo que debes hacer. (Neither I nor anyone can tell you what you should do. Because the speaker is part of the subject, the first-person plural is used.)