Spanish Subject Pronouns: yo, tú, él… and when to drop them
Short answer
Yo, tú, él/ella/usted, nosotros, vosotros, ellos/ellas/ustedes. Spanish verb endings already show the person, so the pronoun is normally left out and added only for contrast or emphasis.
Level A1 · pronouns
The rule in full
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | yo | nosotros / nosotras |
| 2nd | tú | vosotros / vosotras |
| 3rd | él, ella, usted | ellos, ellas, ustedes |
- usted / ustedes are formal you, but take third-person verb forms.
- vosotros is used in Spain; Latin America uses ustedes for both formal and informal plural you.
Spanish normally drops the subject — the verb ending already says who:
- (Yo) hablo español. → Hablo español.
Use the pronoun only for contrast or emphasis: Yo trabajo, tú duermes.
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