Spanish Question - Tu/Usted/Ustedes?

Question

Without giving me any links,

Can someone give me a clear explanation on the difference between "Tu", "Usted" and "Ustedes".

At first, I thought Tu was informal and Usted was formal, but there is a plural form of Usted (Ustedes).

Confused...

Answer 1

I studied European Spanish and I was taught:

Informal/singular = tu (with an accent on!)

informal/plural = vosotros or vosotras depending on gender.

formal/singular = usted

formal/plural = ustedes.

Edit - OK, who's the smart alec giving thumbs down to correct answers? I've even been and checked this in my daughter's grammar book (she did GCSE Spanish 2 years ago so grammar can't have changed much since then!!) and the above is right grammatically, even if it's not the way the words are used colloquially.

Answer 2

Most countries don't use voseo, which means 'vosotros" you informal plural.

So, tú is informal, usted is formal, and ustedes they use as formal and informal.

However, in some countries, we use voseo, so we say vos is informal singular, vosotros is informal plural. Usted is formal singular, and ustedes is formal plural.

Answer 3

Tu is informal for, say a child or a close friend.

Usted is for an older person or,say, the vicar.

Ustedes is for more than one person.

Answer 4

yeah... tu is informal, usted is formal. ustedes is both.

in spain, i know they use vosotros, so ustedes would be formal there.

Answer 5

tu:you is informal and singular!

usted:you but is formal. u can use it with your boss,teacher...

ustedes is plural from 2: many people...

ustedes: formal or informal (:

vos and vosotros is possible...

vos:you informal

vosotros:plural



is used in argentina,uruguay,spain and some parts of colombia

Answer 6

Tu, Usted and Ustedes means You in English. In Spanish you will use them in different ocassions with different people.

Tu : to be used when you are talking to a friend, brothers, people on the same age range, or somebody very close to you.

Usted: to be used when you are talking to somebody that must be treated with respect. Somebody older than you, your boss, in a interview, to a someone in a position of authority.

Ustedes is the plural of Usted, when you are talking to 2 or more people that deserves respect.

Vosotros is the plural of Tu, when you are talking to 2 or more friends or colleagues

Informal Singular: Tu

Informal Plural: Vosotros

Formal Singular: Usted

Formal Plural: Ustedes

Answer 7

1. Tu

2. Vosotros

3. Usted

4. Ustedes

In Central America and Argentina we say "vos" instead of tu. It's conjugated differently: vos sos= tu eres= you are

Answer 8

I don´t know why, you got it.  What you said is correct.  There is no plural for tu, "ustedes" is plural for both usted and tu.  If that is what you wanted to know.

Answer 9

tu is you example : tu necesitas algo? (you need somthing?)

usted is formal like you treat a grandfather or a professor.. usted necesita algo?

and ustedes is the plural of you: ustedes necesitan algo?

jajajja i hope you understend

Answer 10

Hey man, If you are confused with that.. let me tell you that Spanish language is getting even worse as soon as you try to understand each word.... you just need to get used to that.

There is a tip according to your request:

Tú:  You.  It is singular and informal.  Tu (without the accent) means your___________

Usted:  You,   singular but formal

Ustedes: You, plural , and both (formal and informal)

Answer 11

In Spain:

"Tú" means you (singular)

"Vosotros" means you (plural)

"Usted" is the formal for you (sing)

"Ustedes" is the formal for you (pl)

If you use "usted/ustedes", you have to conjugate the verb in the third person (as for "él""ella"=he, she, "ellos""ellas"=them) not as the second, and that may look difficult to understand for a non-native speaker. "Usted/ustedes" is the same for masculine and feminine

In South America, the form "tú/vosotros" is never used and they say "usted/ustedes" even in informal speech. In Argentina and Uruguay they say "vos"

Answer 12

Tu is "you" its more informal, you would say it to someone you know well and see everyday

Usted is more formal, you woulod say it to someone who is older than you or a like a teacher. Usted has more respect in it.

Ustedes is the same thing as usted but its plural

^^ thats what you said so you got it.