English uses you in many situations where Spanish offers different ways to address someone. Here we will look at usted, its plural ustedes, and the verb forms that go with them.
Why does usted exist?
Usted developed from the Spanish expression vuestra merced, a respectful form of address. It does not come from the Arabic word ustad.
Tú or usted?
Usted often expresses courtesy, formality or a degree of social distance. You may hear it with older people, professionals or someone you do not know well. The choice is not an automatic rule based only on age or profession: it depends on the place, the relationship and the situation.
Pay attention to how people address each other. If someone invites you to use tú, you can follow their preference.
—Trátame de tú, por favor.
—¡Claro que sí!
“Please use tú with me.” — “Of course!”
You can also ask: ¿Le puedo tutear? — “May I use tú with you?”
How do the verbs change?
Usted addresses one person but uses the same verb forms as él/ella. Ustedes addresses several people and uses the same forms as ellos/ellas.
| Pronoun | Estar | Ir | Hablar |
|---|---|---|---|
| tú | estás | vas | hablas |
| usted | está | va | habla |
| vosotros/vosotras | estáis | vais | habláis |
| ustedes | están | van | hablan |
Él está · Ella está · Usted está
Ellos van · Ellas van · Ustedes van
You are speaking directly to the listener or listeners, but the verb takes a third-person form.
A conversation with usted
—¿Cómo está usted hoy?
—Estoy mucho mejor, gracias.
“How are you today?” — “I am much better, thank you.”
Notice the change of speaker: the question uses está for usted, but the person answers with estoy for yo.
A conversation with ustedes
—¿Van ustedes a ver a su hermana?
—Sí, hoy comeremos juntos.
“Are you going to see your sister?” — “Yes, we will eat together today.”
The question addresses more than one person, so it uses ustedes van. The answer changes to we: comeremos.
Ustedes is not always formal
In most of Spain, vosotros/vosotras is the familiar plural and ustedes is the formal plural. In Spanish-speaking America and the Canary Islands, ustedes is used in both formal and informal situations. It is also used this way in parts of Andalusia.
So hearing ustedes does not, by itself, tell you whether the conversation is formal.
Try it yourself
Use the requested pronoun and complete the present-tense verb.
1. Use usted: ¿Cómo ___ hoy? (estar)
2. Use ustedes: ¿___ a ver a su hermana? (ir)
3. Use usted: ¿___ español? (hablar)
4. Use ustedes: ¿___ preparados? (estar)
Check the answers
1. está — ¿Cómo está usted hoy?
2. van — ¿Van ustedes a ver a su hermana?
3. habla — ¿Habla usted español?
4. están — ¿Están ustedes preparados?
Download the activities
Continue with the renewed illustrated practice sheets. The answer booklet includes explanations and is available when you are ready to check your work.
Language reference
RAE–ASALE: usted, its origin, agreement and uses
RAE: verb conjugation and regional use of ustedes
