Tú vs. Usted in Spanish: The Difference and How to Use Each One

In Spanish, tú is the informal way to say “you” and usted is the formal way.

Knowing when and how to use them can be challenging in the beginning. But in this post, you’ll learn the difference between tú vs. usted, when to use them and how to conjugate their verb forms.

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What’s the Difference Between Tú vs. Usted?

In Spanish, we use tú and usted to refer to a person we’re talking to (these are the singular second-person subject pronouns). They both mean “you.”

Tú is used in an informal context when talking to a friend or someone you know personally. Usted is the formal version and is used to show respect, usually when talking to someone older or someone you don’t know very well.

How to Conjugate Verbs in the Tú and Usted Forms

Here are the present simple tense conjugations for tú and usted with a few common Spanish verbs:

Spanish Verb	Tú	Usted
Ser (to be)	Eres	Es
Estar (to be)	Estás	Está
Vivir (to live)	Vives	Vive
Tener (to have)	Tienes	Tiene
Bañarse (to bathe/to swim)	Te bañas	Se baña

Object Pronouns for Tú and Usted

Each subject pronoun also has a different corresponding object pronoun.

For tú, the object pronoun is te and for usted it’s le.

For example:

Te llamo mañana. (I’ll call you tomorrow.)

Le dije que llegaría tarde. (I told you that I would arrive late.)

When to Use Tú

Children and animals

No matter the situation, if you’re addressing children or, for some reason, speaking Spanish with animals, you should use the tú form.

Ya pasó la hora de irte a la cama. Ve a cepillarte los dientes.
(It’s past your bedtime. Go brush your teeth.)

¿Tienes hambre? Ya te doy la comida.
(Are you hungry? I’ll give you food now/soon.)

Young people

If you’re a teenager or in your 20s, use tú in pretty much any situation where you’re speaking to people your age.

Hola amigo, ¿quieres ir al cine más tarde?
(Hey friend/bud, do you want to go to the movie theater later?)

Cierto, eres el novio de Lily. ¿Cómo te llamas?
(Right, you’re Lily’s boyfriend. What’s your name?)

Friends and family

People who you’re close to or are social with are addressed with tú. It can be a bit more delicate for people who you’ve just been introduced to, friends of friends and that sort of thing. If you’re not sure, just ask. 

Necesitamos ponernos al día. ¿Quieres tomar un café conmigo?
(We need to catch up. Do you want to have a coffee with me?)

¡Primo! ¡No te he visto en años!
(Cousin! I haven’t seen you in years!)

Work colleagues you know well

This one depends strongly on company culture. In arts organizations or non-profits, you’re more likely to use tú with everyone, whereas in a bank, usted is more common.

¿Puedes ayudarme a organizar la inauguración de la galería?
(Can you help me organize the gallery opening?)

Insults

Not to encourage insulting people, but if you’re going to do it, it would be strange to use usted as it’s a sign of respect.

¿Qué te pasa? ¿Nunca aprendiste a conducir?
(What’s wrong with you? Didn’t you ever learn to drive?)

¡Cállate! Estoy tratando de ver la pelicula.
(Shut up! I’m trying to watch the movie.)

When to Use Usted

Older people

If you’re a child or a teenager addressing an adult, use usted until you’ve been invited to do otherwise. Adults will probably address you with tú, but it’s better to show respect and use the more formal form.

This is also true if you’re an adult addressing an elderly person or someone who’s much older than you.

Hola señora Cervantes, ¿cómo está hoy?
(Hi Mrs. Cervantes, how are you today?)

Profe, ¿de dónde es usted?
(Teacher, where are you from?)

Bureaucratic situations

In general, you should use usted in all legal, bureaucratic and administrative situations. 

¿Podría decirme dónde se realizan las entrevistas para la visa?  
(Could you tell me where the visa interviews are conducted?)

Por favor, avíseme si necesita algo más para procesar mi solicitud.
(Please let me know if you need anything else to process my request.)

In business

Within your company, follow the corporate culture. When dealing with those outside of your company in business contexts you’ll definitely use usted.

Bosses used to be able to address underlings with tú but this is now considered pretty ugly. If there’s a difference in assigned power roles, you might use usted just to be safe and show respect, both to those whom you manage and those who manage you.

¿Puede reunirse mañana a las 10:00 en nuestra oficina?
(Can you meet tomorrow at 10:00 at our office?)

Por favor revise la propuesta y déjeme saber lo que piensa.
(Please review the proposal and let me know what you think. )

With people you don’t know

If you’re speaking to someone on the street for directions, or anyone who you don’t already know personally, use usted.

Disculpe, ¿podría decirme qué hora es?
(Excuse me, could you tell me what time it is?)

Perdone, ¿está en la fila para pagar?
(Sorry, are you in line to pay?)

If you’re ever not sure which one to use, just use usted. It’s better to be too formal than too informal to avoid causing offense. You can also just ask. As a non-native speaker, especially, you can plead ignorance and learn from the situation. The phrase to use is:

¿Nos podemos tutear? — Can we use tú?

Ustedes vs. Vosotros

Ustedes is the plural version of both usted and tú in Latin America, so it can be formal and informal. In Spain, vosotros is the plural of tú—making it informal—and ustedes the plural of usted.

We use these words when referring to a group of two or more people that doesn’t include ourselves. It’s like the Spanish equivalent of y’all or you all.

Here’s how to conjugate their verb forms:

Spanish Verb	Ustedes	Vosotros
Ser (to be)	Son	Sois
Estar (to be)	Están	Estáis
Vivir (to live)	Viven	Vivís
Tener (to have)	Tienen	Tenéis
Bañarse (to bathe, swim)	Se bañan	Os bañáis

When to Switch from Usted to Tú?

Usted is used in all formal situations. But when it comes to people you’re just meeting, you can typically start using tú once you get to know them better—as long as they’re not in a position of authority or your elder. For example, in most cases, you’ll always use usted with your in-laws but not with your own parents.

The best rule to follow as a foreigner would probably just be to wait until they start using tú to address you. This is what I do, and it works pretty well.

But this also depends on the region. For example, in Colombia, it’s very common for married couples to use usted with each other. Or for parents to use usted with their children. It’s pretty much interchangeable with tú.

The bottom line: pay attention to your environment and try to blend in.

The only way to do this is by talking to and listening to native speakers. You can do this easily and online with a program like FluentU.

Regional Variations of Tú and Usted

These are some of the main regional variations in using the different second-person subject pronouns in Spanish:

• In bilingual Catalonia, people almost never use the formal register. Here, you can stick to tú and vosotros when speaking Spanish. The only exception is that an elderly person can be addressed with usted as a sign of respect.
• Latin America tends to use usted much more often than Spain in general, for example, between customers and store owners and in business relationships. In some places, you’ll even hear it between a mother and a child, without this meaning any formal relationship.
• In some regions of Latin America, such as Argentina, Uruguay and parts of Central America, vos is used instead of tú. This alternative form comes with its own conjugation and is used in informal settings.

These are just some of the regional variations, and there can also be variations between people of the same region. For example, I know adults in Ecuador who always address their parents as usted, and others who always use tú.

If you’re going to be traveling or living in a Spanish-speaking country, it’s best to look up the specific usage where you’re going or ask someone who lives there if you can.

Tú vs. Usted Practice Quiz

Conjugate the verbs according to the correct pronoun. Then check your answers below.

1. ¿(Tú — venir) _____ a la fiesta esta noche? (Are you coming to the party tonight?)

2. (Tú — hacer) siempre _____ un gran trabajo en tus proyectos. (You always do a great job on your projects.)

3. ¿(Usted — necesitar) _____ ayuda con algo? (Do you need help with anything?)

4. ¿(Tú — poder) _____ ayudarme con esta tarea? (Can you help me with this homework?)

5. ¿(Usted — querer) _____ una taza de café? (Do you want a cup of coffee?)

6. (Usted — tener) _____ mucha experiencia en esta industria. (You have a lot of experience in this industry.)

7. (Tú — ser) _____ una persona muy amable y divertida. (You are a very kind and fun person.)

8. ¿(Usted — trabajar) _____ en esta empresa? (Do you work in this company?)

9. ¿Qué (estar) _____ tomando (tú)? (What are you drinking?)

10. (Usted — llegar) siempre _____ temprano a las reuniones. (You always arrive early to the meetings.)

 

Answer key:

1. Vienes

2. Haces

3. Necesita

4. Puedes

5. Quiere

6. Tiene

7. Eres

8. Trabaja

9. Estás

10. Llega

 

When you’re around native speakers, try to actively listen for the distinction between formal and informal registers. This will give you more confidence in your responses and lets you learn from new situations.

Eventually, it will start to feel more natural to you and you won’t have to think much before choosing how to address someone.

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)