Tú vs. Usted: How to Say ‘You’ in Spanish

In modern English, we only have one word for “you.” Whether you are talking to your best friend, a small child, or a judge in a courtroom, you say “you.”

In Spanish, there are two main ways to say “you” to a single person: tú and usted.

Knowing which one to use is about respect, distance, and relationship.

Tú: Informal and Friendly

Tú is the informal “you.” You use it with people you are close to, or people who are on your level.

Use tú with:

• Friends and family members
• Children and pets
• People your own age or younger
• People you have a close, established relationship with

Example conjugation:

• ¿Cómo estás (tú)? (How are you?)
• (Tú) hablas bien. (You speak well.)

Usted: Formal and Respectful

Usted (often abbreviated as Ud.) is the formal “you.” You use it to show respect or social distance.

Use usted with:

• Strangers and people you have just met
• People older than you
• Authority figures (doctors, police officers, teachers, bosses)
• Anyone in a professional or customer service setting

The Grammar Catch: Even though usted means “you”, it uses the third-person verb conjugation (the same one used for él and ella).

Example conjugation:

• ¿Cómo está (usted)? (How are you?)
• (Usted) habla bien. (You speak well.)

Plural “You” (You all / You guys)

What if you are talking to more than one person?

• In Latin America, there is only one plural “you”: ustedes. It is used for both formal and informal situations.
• In Spain, they use vosotros for informal plural, and ustedes for formal plural.

Practice

Would you use tú or usted in these situations?

1. Talking to your brother.
2. Asking a police officer for directions.
3. Talking to a young child at the park.
4. Speaking to your new 60-year-old neighbor.

Answers

1. Tú (Family)
2. Usted (Authority figure / Stranger)
3. Tú (Child)
4. Usted (Older stranger)