What Are the Subject Pronouns in Spanish?

Pronouns are an essential part of language, as they can help provide emphasis, clarification, and understanding of ownership. The pronouns used in English are straightforward, but when you incorporate them into Spanish language, they undergo a few changes. Since gender and number is so important in Spanish, these differences can take some getting used to. To help you create a strong foundation, this article will discuss everything you need to know about using subject pronouns in Spanish.

What Are the Subject Pronouns in Spanish?

Like in English, subject pronouns in Spanish can be inserted in a sentence to take the place of someone’s name or a noun. They help simplify sentences and avoid repetition in conversations. Pronouns make sentences flow more smoothly and reduce the use of third person, which can sound unnatural in some instances. The subject pronoun in Spanish dictates how verbs are conjugated in a sentence and the gender of any associated Spanish adjectives. They change based on how or where they’re used, similar to how using the English personal pronoun “I” may change to “my” in different sentences.

Yo quiero una hamburguesa— I want a hamburger
Tú vas a ir a la escuela — You are going to school
Ellaestá aprendiendo a montar en bicicleta — She is learning to ride a bike
Nosotros vamos al cine — We are going to the movies

The Difference Between Spanish Subject Pronouns and Object Pronouns

Spanish subject pronouns are used to directly indicate who the subject is in a sentence, whereas object pronouns are used to replace a noun. Direct object pronouns in Spanish are used to replace a noun that’s receiving the action of the verb being used. Indirect object pronouns in Spanish are used when describing to whom or for whom an action is done—or who/whom/what the action of a verb is being done for. This can, understandably, get a little tricky to differentiate. However, mastering subject pronouns in Spanish will help create a solid foundation for fluency.

Differences Between English and Spanish Subject Pronouns

Another thing that’s important to understand when learning subject pronouns in Spanish is that there are different ways to say “you,” or “they” based on whether you’re in a formal or informal situation. Spanish also doesn’t have an equivalent for the word “it” in English—you either use a masculine version of Spanish nouns or a feminine version. Finally, like slang used throughout English speaking regions, different countries and Spanish-speaking areas may use different words. For example, vos is often used in some South American countries to say “you,” while other Spanish speaking areas use tú.

List of All Spanish Subject Pronouns

There are 12 different subject pronouns in Spanish that are used, 13 if you count the variations from different Spanish speaking countries. They can be classified based on the person, gender, formality, and number. The complete list of all Spanish subject pronouns are as follows:

Each Spanish subject pronoun dictates how a verb is conjugated. The ending changes based on the infinitive, but aside from a few exceptions, they tend to follow the same pattern. Pay special attention to the Spanish accents that are present on the subject pronoun for “he” or él and “you” or tú. Since the meaning of both words change without their accent marks, it’s an important distinction to remember.

Singular Forms of Subject Pronouns in Spanish

Singular forms of subject pronouns in Spanish include yo, tú, vos, usted, él, and ella. They’re used in place of “I, you, you, you, he, and she” respectively. Any verb that is attached to these singular subjects needs to match in number and gender.

Plural Forms of Subject Pronouns in Spanish

Plural forms of subject pronouns in Spanish include ustedes, vosotros, vosotras, ellos, ellas, nosotros, and nosotras. Any verb that is attached to these plural subjects needs to match in number and gender. Plural forms of subject pronouns will always take the masculine form if there is at least one or more masculine subjects included in the sentence. For example, if there is one girl and one boy in the group of “we,” the Spanish subject pronoun nosotros will always be used.

How to Use Spanish Subject Pronouns

Spanish subject pronouns are primarily used in a sentence before the verb to reinforce who the subject is. Grasping the differences in subject pronouns is as important as learning the Spanish alphabet, as almost every verb used will be conjugated based on the subject pronoun. One of the best ways to practice mastering your use of Spanish subject pronouns is to download Tandem and match with a native Spanish speaker. This allows you to ask questions, practice using subject pronouns in conversation, and learn more about different variations and how they’re applied in everyday conversation.

When to Use Subject Pronouns in Spanish

There are two specific instances when you should include Spanish subject pronouns in sentences: when you want to emphasize the subject and when you’re making a comparison. Since the conjugation of the verb gives the reader or listener enough information to understand who the subject is, it’s not always necessary to use. However, notice the difference between the following examples—both of which can be used to say, “Maria is very nice. She gave me her apple.”

María es muy agradable. Me dio su manzana María es muy agradable. Ella me dio su manzana

Notice how the sentence that includes the subject pronoun puts more of an emphasis on María being the subject rather than the apple. When making a comparison, the Spanish subject pronoun will always follow the word que. Check out a few examples below:

Juan y Pablo son mejores bailarines que yo — Juan and Pablo are better dancers than me.
Yolanda es más alta que ella — Yolanda is taller than her.

When to Omit Spanish Subject Pronouns

Aside from the two exceptions, almost all native speakers omit Spanish subject pronouns because the verb endings clarify the subject already. Therefore, you can omit Spanish subject pronouns once you feel confident in your conjugation skills. Since the verb changes based on the subject, subject pronouns are important to understand, but not necessarily important to use. Some examples include the following:

• Yo voy a la playa OR Voy a la playa — I am going to the beach
  
• Tú vas a la playa OR Vas a la playa — You are going to the beach
  
• Él va a la playa OR Va a la playa — He is going to the beach
  
• Ella va a la playa OR Va a la playa — She is going to the beach
  
• Nosotros vamos a la playa OR Vamos a la playa — We are going to the beach
  
• Ellos van a la playa OR Van a la playa — They are going to the beach
  

Notice how each verb conjugation changes based on the subject, but when the Spanish subject pronoun is omitted the meaning of the sentence remains the same.

To help you practice mastering your use of Spanish subject pronouns, download Tandem today. Tandem is a unique, worldwide language community where millions of like-minded individuals go to match with native speakers, meet friends, and work towards fluency together. Through our one-of-a-kind language learning experience, you’ll gain access to thousands of native Spanish speakers across various countries so you can practice using subject pronouns in conversation. At Tandem, our goal is to help users foster a deeper understanding of language while improving fluency and building long-lasting friendships. To join our community and work on your Spanish skills, sign up for Tandem today.