Two ways to say you: Spanish has two ways to address one person. This is called register — the level of formality you choose for who you're talking to.
tú
- Informal
- For friends, peers and family
- Uses tu / te
usted
- Formal
- For strangers, elders, people in authority and business
- Takes the él/ella verb form, not its own ending
- Uses su / le
- el registro
- register — the level of formality (formal vs informal)
- tú
- informal you — friends, peers, family
- usted
- formal you — strangers, elders, authority, business
- vosotros / vosotras
- informal you (plural) — used in Spain
- ustedes
- formal you (plural) in Spain; all of you everywhere in Latin America
- el trato
- the form of address — whether you use tú or usted with someone
It's a band descriptor: Choosing the right register and keeping it consistent is a marked criterion. A formal letter that slips into tú, or a chat with a friend that goes stiffly into usted, costs marks. Decide the register from the audience before you write the first word.
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What changes with each: Switching register changes more than the pronoun. usted borrows the él/ella verb form and swaps the possessives and object pronouns. Get the whole set right and your register stays consistent.
tú (informal)
- Verbo: tú hablas, tú tienes
- Posesivo: tu casa, tus libros
- Pronombres: te, ti, contigo
- Plural en España: vosotros habláis
usted (formal)
- Verbo: usted habla, usted tiene
- Posesivo: su casa, sus libros
- Pronombres: le, a usted
- Plural: ustedes hablan
| Función | tú (informal) | usted (formal) |
|---|---|---|
| Pedir un favor | ¿Puedes ayudarme? | ¿Puede ayudarme? |
| Preguntar la hora | ¿Tienes un momento? | ¿Tiene un momento? |
| Posesivo your | tu correo | su correo |
| Pronombre to you | te mando | le mando |
Usted = the él/ella form: The single most useful rule: usted uses exactly the same verb form as él/ella — usted habla, usted tiene, usted puede — and pairs with su and le, never tu or te. If you can do él/ella, you can do usted.
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Read the audience and the text type: The register comes from who you're addressing and what kind of text it is.
Two quick cases: A letter to a company is formal; a message to a friend is informal. Here are the cues that tell you which to pick, each with a Spanish example.
Cuándo elegir cada uno
- Carta a una empresa / institución → usted — Le escribo para solicitar información. (I'm writing to you to request information.)
- Mensaje a un amigo → tú — Oye, ¿vienes a la fiesta? (Hey, are you coming to the party?)
- Hablar con una persona mayor o desconocida → usted — Disculpe, ¿sabe dónde está la estación? (Excuse me, do you know where the station is?)
- Hablar con un compañero de clase → tú — ¿Me prestas tu boli? (Will you lend me your pen?)
- Correo a un profesor o jefe → usted — ¿Podría revisar mi trabajo, por favor? (Could you review my work, please?)
Decide before you start: Pick the register from the task instructions before writing: una carta formal signals usted; un mensaje a tu amigo signals tú. Once you've chosen, you must keep it the whole way through — that's where the next section comes in.
The same request, two registers: Here is the same favour written twice: once informally to a friend (tú), once formally to a company (usted), so the contrast is visible side by side.
What to watch: Watch the verb form, the possessive (tu/su) and the pronoun (te/le) all shift together. Tap Ver traducción or the audio button to hear it.
tú y usted en acción
La misma petición, dos registros
- Versión informal (tú): Hola Marta, ¿puedes ayudarme con el proyecto?
- ¿Tienes un momento esta tarde? Te mando los documentos a tu correo.
- Versión formal (usted): Estimada señora García, ¿puede ayudarme con el proyecto?
- ¿Tiene un momento esta tarde? Le mando los documentos a su correo.
- Le agradezco su atención y quedo a la espera de su respuesta.
Change all three together: When you switch from tú to usted, change everything at once: the verb (puedes → puede), the possessive (tu → su) and the pronoun (te → le). Changing only one is the classic slip that breaks consistency.
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The slips to watch for: Two register mistakes cost the most. Compare the right version with the typical mistake.
The two biggest slips
- Mixing tú and usted in one text: you must stay consistent.
- Getting the possessive or verb wrong with usted: it needs su and the él/ella form, not tu or the tú ending.
Correcto
- ¿Puede usted enviarme su dirección?
- Estimado señor, le escribo para…
- Oye, ¿me das tu número?
Error común
- ¿Puede usted enviarme tu dirección?
- Estimado señor, te escribo para…
- Oye, ¿me da su número?
Pick one register and stay there: Before you hand in: scan the whole text and check every verb, possessive and pronoun matches the same register. If you started formal, there should be no tú, tu or te anywhere — and vice versa. Consistency is what the marker is checking.