¿Who’s who?

By Os 

This month we are gonna talk about ¿Who’s who?  We are gonna define the Personal Pronouns, just for the record a Personal Pronoun is a word that we use to substitute persons or things when they are the subject of the sentence. 

For example: 

Marcela eats a lot.  I don’t want to say “Marcela” any more so I can say:  She eats a lot.  “She” is the Personal Pronoun that I used to substitute for “Marcela” (a person). 

The house has two garages.  I don’t want to say “The house” any more so I can say:  She has two garages.  “She” is the Personal Pronoun that I used to substitute for “The house” (a thing). 

I did NOT say It has two garages –not in Spanish-.  In Spanish “The house” is a “she”.  “The house” is not a person (I now that) but “The house” has a gender which is femeninA.  In Spanish “The house” is a “she”. 

I know it is hard to swallow but you will get used to this concept soon.  Believe me, there are more important things to worry about… (Like VERBOS for instance). 

Anyways, let’s learn the Pronombres Personales in Spanish right know. 

In English when you want to say “I” referring to “I”, you say “I”. 

En español when you want to say “I” referring to “I”, you can imagine that you are playing with the half of a yo-yo, and say “yo”.  You have to say “yo” because “yo” equals “I”. 

In English when you want to say “we” referring to “we”, you say “we”. 

En español, when you want to say “we” referring to “we”, you have to say “nosotrOS” (if you are a man) or “nosotrAS” (if you are a woman in a group of women). 

In English when you want to say “she” referring to “a woman” you say “she”.  And when you want to say “it” referring to “something” you say “it”. 

En español when you want to say “she” referring to “a woman” you have to say “ella”.  Also when you want to say “it” referring to “something femeninA” you have to say “ella” as well.  WTF???  Yes, en español when something is femeninA like “table” = ”mesa”, you refer to “it” saying “she”.  You have to say “ella” because “ella” equals “she” and/or “it femeninA”. 

In English when you want to say “he” referring to “a man” you say “he”.  And when you want to say “it” referring to “something” you say “it”. 

En español when you want to say “he” referring to “a man” you have to say “él”.  Also when you want to say “it” referring to “something masculinO” you have to say “él” as well.  WTF???  Yes, en español when something is masculinO like “book” = ”libro”, you refer to “it” saying “he”.  You have to say “él” because “él” equals “he” and/or “it masculinO”. 

In English when you want to say “they” referring to “a group of people or things” you say “they”. 

En español when you want to say “they” referring to “a group of men or things masculinOS” you have to say “ellos”.  Also in Spanish when you want to say “they” referring to “a group of women or things femeninAS” you have to say “ellas”. 

So I’m gonna say that:

“ella” equals “she” and/or “it femeninA”;

“él” equals “he” and/or “it masculinO“;

“ellas” equals “they femeninAS”;

“ellos” equals “they masculinOS“;

“ell@s” (“ellos” and/or “ellas”) equals “they”. 

¿And what about “you”?  In English when you want to say “you” referring to “you” (singular “you”, one person), you say “you”.  And when you want to say “you” referring to “you all” (you plural or you more than one), you say “you” as well. 

Well, in Spanish things are different.  And this is the part of the article that reaffirms that “SPANISH SUCKS”.  Here we go: 

En español, when you want to say “you” referring to “you” (singular “you”, one person), you can choose among 3 words (one is formal, another one is informal and the other one is also informal).  And when you want to say the other “you” referring to “you all” (you plural or you more than one), you can choose between 2 words (one is useful and one is useless). 

So I’m gonna say that:

“usted” equals you “formal”.  We use it a lot here in Costa Rica.

“tú” equals you “informal”.  Especially in México, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Cuba and many other countries;

“vos” equals you “informal”.  Especially in Argentina, Colombia, Nicaragua, mostly América Central and many other countries;

“ustedes” equals you all “useful“.  “Useful” in all América Latina;

“vosotr@s” equals you all “useless”.  “Useless” in all América Latina but super “usefull” in España. 

DISCLAIMER:

More or less, 500.000.000 people speak espaÑol around the planet.  More or less, 15% of the population of the U.S.A. can do it.  Check this:

http://exploredia.com/how-many-people-in-the-world-speak-spanish-2011/

I apologize if some of them disagree with my article. 

For this and future articles I am gonna say that:

“Yo” equals “I”.

“Usted” equals “you”.

“Ella” equals “she” and/or “it femeninA”.

“Él” equals “he” and/or “it masculinO“.

“Nosotros” equals “we”.

“Ustedes” equals “you all“.

“Ell@s” equals “they”.

 Hey guys:  if you need to read, to study or to print the old articles of SPANISH SUCKS by OS, you can click the links on the right under Regular Features or Contributors, or visit   www.spanishbyos.com., 

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 OS is a certified and experienced Spanish teacher.  He gives One on One, Group and Skype classes.  He also offers “Immersion” and “Travel, Learn & Live” with your teacher programs.