Selecting Subject Pronouns
A subject pronoun is a word used in placed of a subject noun. This pronoun identifies who or what is performing the action of the verb.
| Gender | Spanish | English |
| Masculine or Feminine | Yo | I |
| Masculine or Feminine | Tú | You |
| Masculine o Feminine | Vos | You |
| Masculine o Feminine | Usted | You |
| Masculine | Él | He |
| Feminine | Ella | She |
| Masculine o Feminine | Ello | It |
| Masculine | Nosotros | We |
| Feminine | Nosotras | We |
| Masculine y Feminine | Nosotros | We |
| Masculine | Vosotros | You |
| Feminine | Vosotras | You |
| Masculine o Feminine | Vosotros | You |
| Masculine o Feminine | Ustedes | You |
| Masculine o Feminine | Ustedes | You |
| Masculine | Ellos | They |
| Feminine | Ellas | They |
| Masculine o Feminine | Ellos | They |
Yo
Unlike the English subject pronoun I, which is always capitalized, the Spanish pronoun yo is capitalized only at the beginning of a sentence.
Tú versus Usted
You use the familiar subject pronoun tú to address one friend, relative, child, or pet, because it´s the informal form of you.
You use usted to show respect to an older person or when speaking to a stranger or someone you don´t know well, because usted is the formal, singular form of you.
Vosotros (vosotras) versus ustedes
Vosotros and vosotras are informal (familiar) plural subject pronouns expresing you.
The vosotros (vosotras) form is used primarily in Spain to address more than one friend, relative, child, or pet (the informal, plural form of you.
You use vosotros when speaking to a group of males or to a combined group of males and females.
You use vosotras only when speaking to a group of females.
Ustedes is a plural subject pronoun that also expresses you.
Ustedes is used throughout the Spanish-speaking world to show respect to more than one older person or when speaking to multiple strangers or people you don´t know well.
Ustedes is the formal, plural form of you and replaces the informal, plural vosotros (vosotras) in Spanish (latin, Central and South).
Él versus ella
Él (he) refers to one male person.
Ella (she) refers to one female person.
Ellos versus ellas
Ellos (they) refers to more than one male or to a combined group of males and females, no matter the number of each gender present.
Ellas refers to a group of females only.
Nosotros and nosotras
When you are talking about someone alse and yourself at the same time, you must use the we (nosotros/nosotras) form of verb.
Nosotros refers to more than one male or to combined group of males and females, no matter the number of each gender present.
Nosotros refers to a group of females only.
Omitting subject pronouns
In English, you use subject pronouns all the time to explain who´s doing what. In Spanish, however, you use subject pronouns a lot less frequently because the verb ending generally indicates the subject.
