Vosotros/as in 30 Sekunden
- Informal 'you all' used exclusively in Spain.
- Has masculine (vosotros) and feminine (vosotras) forms.
- Requires unique verb endings like -áis, -éis, -ís.
- Replaced by 'ustedes' in Latin American Spanish.
The Spanish pronoun vosotros (masculine or mixed groups) and its feminine counterpart vosotras represent the second-person plural informal 'you'. In the linguistic landscape of the Spanish language, this word is a cornerstone of Peninsular Spanish (the Spanish spoken in Spain). It is used to address a group of friends, family members, children, or people with whom you have a close or informal relationship. Understanding vosotros is essential for anyone traveling to Spain or consuming media produced there, such as films, series, or literature. While it is almost entirely absent from the spoken vernacular of Latin America—where ustedes is used for both formal and informal plural 'you'—it remains a vital part of the global Spanish grammatical framework.
- Grammatical Role
- Subject pronoun used to replace a group of people being spoken to directly.
- Gender Agreement
- Use 'vosotros' for all-male or mixed-gender groups; use 'vosotras' exclusively for all-female groups.
- Regionality
- Primarily used in Spain; replaced by 'ustedes' in Latin America and parts of Andalusia/Canary Islands.
"¿Vosotros queréis ir al cine esta noche?"
"Vosotras sois mis mejores amigas."
"¿Qué hacéis vosotros aquí?"
"Vosotros tenéis la llave, ¿verdad?"
"Espero que vosotros podáis venir."
- Object Pronoun
- The corresponding object pronoun is 'os' (e.g., 'Os veo' - I see you).
- Possessive
- The possessive adjective is 'vuestro/vuestra' (e.g., 'vuestra casa').
Using vosotros correctly requires mastering a specific set of verb endings that differ from the singular forms and the formal plural. In the present tense, verbs ending in -ar take -áis, -er take -éis, and -ir take -ís. For example, hablar becomes habláis, comer becomes coméis, and vivir becomes vivís. Notice the characteristic accent mark on the vowel in most of these endings, which indicates that the stress falls on the penult or final syllable depending on the conjugation. This phonetic distinction is a key marker of the Spanish accent.
Beyond the subject pronoun, you must also align your reflexive and object pronouns. If you are saying 'You wash yourselves,' you use os laváis. The possessive adjectives are also unique: vuestro (masculine singular), vuestra (feminine singular), vuestros (masculine plural), and vuestras (feminine plural). For instance, to ask 'Is this your car?' to a group of friends, you would say: '¿Es este vuestro coche?'.
In the imperative (commands), vosotros is particularly regular. To form the affirmative command, simply take the infinitive, drop the final '-r', and add a '-d'. For example: hablar -> hablad; comer -> comed; venir -> venid. This is one of the few areas where Spanish grammar is remarkably consistent, though in casual speech, many Spaniards colloquially substitute the infinitive for the command (e.g., saying '¡Venir!' instead of '¡Venid!'), though this is technically incorrect in formal writing.
The primary geographical home of vosotros is mainland Spain. From the bustling streets of Madrid to the coastal towns of Barcelona and the northern peaks of Asturias, vosotros is the default way to address any group informally. You will hear it in bars when a waiter asks a group of friends, '¿Qué tomáis?' (What are you having?), or in a classroom when a teacher addresses students. It creates an atmosphere of proximity and egalitarianism.
Interestingly, in parts of Western Andalusia and the Canary Islands, you might hear a hybrid usage: people use the pronoun ustedes but conjugate the verb in the vosotros form, or vice versa. However, in the vast majority of the Spanish-speaking world—Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, etc.—vosotros is relegated to religious texts, legal documents, or very formal oratory, where it actually carries a sense of extreme formality or antiquity, quite the opposite of its informal use in Spain.
In media, vosotros is the hallmark of Spanish dubbing. If you watch a Disney movie dubbed in 'Español de España', the characters will use vosotros. If you watch the 'Español Latino' version, they will use ustedes. This distinction is one of the most immediate ways for a learner to identify the regional origin of a speaker or a piece of content.
One of the most frequent errors for learners is confusing vosotros with ustedes. While both mean 'you all', using ustedes in an informal setting in Spain can make you sound overly stiff or distant, whereas using vosotros in Latin America will make you sound like a character from a 16th-century novel or a visitor from Spain. Another common pitfall is the gender of the pronoun. Learners often default to vosotros even when addressing a group of only women; remember to use vosotras in those instances.
Conjugation errors are also rampant. Because the vosotros form is often the last one taught in many American-based Spanish curricula, students struggle with the accent marks. Forgetting the accent in estáis or habláis is a common written mistake. Additionally, learners often mix up the object pronoun os with the reflexive pronoun se. For example, saying '¿Se laváis?' instead of the correct '¿Os laváis?'.
Finally, the imperative form is a trap. Many learners try to use the subjunctive for affirmative commands (like they do with usted), saying '¡Habléis!' when they should say '¡Hablad!'. Remember: the '-d' ending is for affirmative informal plural commands in Spain.
The most direct 'competitor' to vosotros is ustedes. While vosotros is informal and plural (Spain), ustedes is plural and can be formal (Spain) or both formal and informal (Latin America). Think of vosotros as 'you guys' and ustedes as 'you ladies and gentlemen' (in Spain) or simply 'you all' (in the Americas).
Another related term is vos. While vosotros is plural, vos is a singular pronoun used in many parts of Latin America (like Argentina, Uruguay, and Central America) as an informal 'you', replacing tú. It is important not to confuse the two; vosotros is 'you + others', while vos is just 'you'.
We also have the possessive vuestro, which corresponds to vosotros. In Latin America, since vosotros isn't used, vuestro is replaced by su or de ustedes. For example, 'your house' is 'vuestra casa' in Spain (informal plural) but 'su casa' or 'la casa de ustedes' in Mexico. Understanding these shifts is crucial for achieving regional fluency and avoiding confusion when traveling between different Spanish-speaking countries.
How Formal Is It?
Schwierigkeitsgrad
Wichtige Grammatik
Second person plural conjugation
Gender agreement in pronouns
Reflexive pronouns (os)
Possessive adjectives (vuestro)
Imperative mood formation
Beispiele nach Niveau
Vosotros sois estudiantes.
You (all) are students.
Verb 'ser' in vosotros form.
¿Vosotros habláis inglés?
Do you (all) speak English?
Present tense -ar verb.
Vosotras tenéis hambre.
You (girls) are hungry.
Feminine plural form.
Vosotros estáis en casa.
You (all) are at home.
Verb 'estar' with accent.
¿Qué coméis vosotros?
What are you (all) eating?
Present tense -er verb.
Vosotros vivís en Madrid.
You (all) live in Madrid.
Present tense -ir verb.
Vosotras sois muy amables.
You (girls) are very kind.
Adjective agreement with vosotras.
¿Vais vosotros al parque?
Are you (all) going to the park?
Irregular verb 'ir'.
¿Habéis terminado vosotros?
Have you (all) finished?
Present perfect with 'haber'.
Vosotros podéis entrar ahora.
You (all) can enter now.
Stem-changing verb 'poder'.
¿Dónde habéis puesto las llaves?
Where have you (all) put the keys?
Irregular participle 'puesto'.
Vosotras queréis un café, ¿no?
You (girls) want a coffee, right?
Stem-changing verb 'querer'.
Vosotros hacéis mucho ruido.
You (all) make a lot of noise.
Verb 'hacer' in vosotros.
¿A qué hora salís vosotros?
What time do you (all) leave?
Verb 'salir' in present.
Vosotros conocéis a mi hermano.
You (all) know my brother.
Verb 'conocer'.
Vosotras jugáis muy bien.
You (girls) play very well.
Stem-changing verb 'jugar'.
Ayer vosotros llegasteis tarde.
Yesterday you (all) arrived late.
Preterite tense ending -asteis.
Cuando erais niños, jugabais aquí.
When you were children, you used to play here.
Imperfect tense 'erais' and 'jugabais'.
Os vi en la tele anoche.
I saw you (all) on TV last night.
Direct object pronoun 'os'.
Mañana vosotros iréis a la playa.
Tomorrow you (all) will go to the beach.
Future tense ending -réis.
¿Vuestros padres están bien?
Are your parents well?
Possessive adjective 'vuestros'.
Vosotros dijisteis la verdad.
You (all) told the truth.
Irregular preterite 'decir'.
Espero que vosotros lo paséis bien.
I hope you (all) have a good time.
Present subjunctive 'paséis'.
Vosotros sabíais que esto pasaría.
You (all) knew this would happen.
Imperfect tense 'sabíais'.
¡Venid aquí ahora mismo!
Come here right now!
Affirmative imperative (venid).
No habléis tan alto, por favor.
Don't speak so loud, please.
Negative imperative (subjunctive).
Si vosotros fuerais ricos, ¿qué haríais?
If you were rich, what would you do?
Imperfect subjunctive and conditional.
Me alegra que hayáis venido.
I'm glad that you (all) have come.
Present perfect subjunctive.
Vosotros habríais ganado el partido.
You (all) would have won the match.
Conditional perfect.
Os habéis olvidado de vuestras mochilas.
You (all) have forgotten your backpacks.
Reflexive 'os' + possessive 'vuestras'.
Dudo que vosotros sepáis la respuesta.
I doubt that you (all) know the answer.
Subjunctive with 'dudar'.
¡Dádmelo ya!
Give it to me now!
Imperative with attached pronouns.
Vosotros, los ciudadanos, tenéis el poder.
You, the citizens, have the power.
Apposition with vosotros.
Hubierais podido avisar con tiempo.
You (all) could have warned us in time.
Pluperfect subjunctive.
Os ruego que mantengáis la calma.
I beg you (all) to remain calm.
Formal request using informal pronoun.
Vosotros sois quienes debéis decidir.
You are the ones who must decide.
Relative clause agreement.
Pese a que vosotros no queríais, lo hicimos.
Despite you (all) not wanting to, we did it.
Concessive clause with imperfect.
Vosotros mismos lo habéis comprobado.
You yourselves have verified it.
Intensive pronoun 'mismos'.
Ojalá vosotros entendierais mi posición.
I wish you (all) understood my position.
Ojalá + imperfect subjunctive.
Vosotros no pintáis nada en este asunto.
You (all) have no say in this matter.
Idiomatic expression 'no pintar nada'.
Vosotros, herederos de una gran estirpe...
You, heirs of a great lineage...
Archaic/Literary register.
Si por vosotros fuera, no haríamos nada.
If it were up to you, we wouldn't do anything.
Idiomatic 'si por [persona] fuera'.
Os habéis granjeado el respeto de todos.
You (all) have earned everyone's respect.
High-level vocabulary 'granjearse'.
Cualquiera de vosotros podría haberlo hecho.
Any of you could have done it.
Indefinite pronoun 'cualquiera'.
Vosotros, que tanto habéis luchado, descansad.
You, who have fought so much, rest.
Vocative with relative clause.
No os amilanéis ante las dificultades.
Do not be daunted by difficulties.
Negative imperative with 'amilanarse'.
Vosotros sois el motor de esta empresa.
You (all) are the engine of this company.
Metaphorical usage.
¡Qué bien os lo montáis!
You (all) have it so good! / You've got it made!
Colloquial idiom 'montárselo bien'.
Häufige Kollokationen
Häufige Phrasen
Wird oft verwechselt mit
Redewendungen & Ausdrücke
Leicht verwechselbar
Means 'we', not 'you all'.
The possessive adjective, not the pronoun.
The formal version or the Latin American version.
Singular 'you' in Argentina/Uruguay.
Means 'they', not 'you all'.
Satzmuster
Vosotros + [verb ending in -áis/-éis/-ís]
Vosotros cantáis.
¿[Verb] + vosotros?
¿Coméis vosotros?
Os + [verb]
Os quiero.
Vuestro/a + [noun]
Vuestro perro.
¡[Infinitive minus -r + -d]!
¡Bailad!
No + [subjunctive form]
No corráis.
Para vosotros
Esto es para vosotros.
Vosotros sois + [adjective]
Vosotros sois listos.
So verwendest du es
Vosotros is the default for mixed groups.
Like other subject pronouns, 'vosotros' is often omitted because the verb ending is unique.
In Spain, 'vosotros' is used even with people you just met if they are your age.
- Using 'vosotros' in Latin America.
- Forgetting the accent marks in writing.
- Using 'vosotros' for an all-female group (should be 'vosotras').
- Using 'se' instead of 'os' as the reflexive pronoun.
- Confusing 'vosotros' (plural) with 'vos' (singular).
Tipps
Accent Marks
Always put the accent on the last syllable of the present tense: áis, éis, ís.
Spain Travel
If you are in Spain, use vosotros with everyone except the elderly or in very formal meetings.
The 'd' Command
The -d ending in commands is unique to vosotros. Practice saying '¡Mirad!' or '¡Escuchad!'.
Netflix Spain
Watch 'Money Heist' (La Casa de Papel) to hear 'vosotros' used constantly in high-stress situations.
Agreement
Make sure your adjectives end in -os or -as to match vosotros or vosotras.
Vos + Otros
Remember the origin: You + Others. It helps you remember it's plural.
Reflexive 'os'
When using reflexive verbs, 'os' goes before the conjugated verb: 'Os despertáis'.
Vs Ustedes
Think of Vosotros as 'You guys' and Ustedes as 'You sirs/ma'ams' (in Spain).
Soft V
Don't bite your lip for the 'v' in vosotros; it's a soft 'b' sound.
Focus on Spain
If your goal is Peninsular Spanish, prioritize this pronoun early in your studies.
Einprägen
Eselsbrücke
VOS-OTROS = You + Others. Think of 'Those Others' you are talking to.
Wortherkunft
Latin 'vos' + 'alteros'
Kultureller Kontext
Standard informal plural.
Replaced 'vos' as the standard plural to avoid confusion with the formal singular 'vos'.
Non-existent in speech; used only in liturgy or high literature.
Often use 'ustedes' with 'vosotros' verb forms.
Im Alltag üben
Kontexte aus dem Alltag
Gesprächseinstiege
"¿Qué hacéis vosotros este fin de semana?"
"¿A vosotros os gusta la comida picante?"
"¿De dónde sois vosotros?"
"¿Vosotros habéis visto la última película de Almodóvar?"
"¿Queréis venir vosotros a mi fiesta?"
Tagebuch-Impulse
Escribe sobre lo que tú y tus amigos (vosotros) hicisteis el verano pasado.
Imagina que hablas a un grupo de turistas: ¿Qué les dirías usando 'vosotros'?
Describe tu clase ideal usando la forma 'vosotros'.
Escribe una carta a tus primos en España.
Compara cómo usas 'tú' y cómo usarías 'vosotros'.
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenNo, you don't need to speak it, but you should recognize it. Mexicans will understand you if you use it, but they will think you sound like a Spaniard or a book.
Yes, 'vosotras' is used exclusively for groups consisting only of females. If there is even one male in the group, you must use 'vosotros'.
The object pronoun is 'os'. For example, 'Os llamo' means 'I am calling you (all)'.
For affirmative commands, take the infinitive (like 'hablar'), drop the 'r', and add a 'd' ('hablad').
Historically, 'ustedes' became the dominant form in the Americas, while 'vosotros' remained the informal standard in Spain.
In Spain, it is strictly informal. For formal situations, use 'ustedes'.
Yes, for -ar and -er verbs (-áis, -éis). For -ir verbs, it is -ís (also accented).
Yes, Spanish is a pro-drop language. The verb ending 'habláis' already tells the listener you are talking to 'vosotros'.
Yes, 'vuestro' is the possessive adjective ('your') that corresponds to 'vosotros'.
Voseo is the use of 'vos' as a singular pronoun. It is different from 'vosotros', which is plural.
Teste dich selbst 180 Fragen
/ 180 correct
Perfect score!
Summary
Vosotros is the essential informal plural 'you' for Spain. Mastering its unique verb endings and the object pronoun 'os' is vital for sounding natural and understanding daily life, media, and culture in the Iberian Peninsula.
- Informal 'you all' used exclusively in Spain.
- Has masculine (vosotros) and feminine (vosotras) forms.
- Requires unique verb endings like -áis, -éis, -ís.
- Replaced by 'ustedes' in Latin American Spanish.
Accent Marks
Always put the accent on the last syllable of the present tense: áis, éis, ís.
Spain Travel
If you are in Spain, use vosotros with everyone except the elderly or in very formal meetings.
The 'd' Command
The -d ending in commands is unique to vosotros. Practice saying '¡Mirad!' or '¡Escuchad!'.
Netflix Spain
Watch 'Money Heist' (La Casa de Papel) to hear 'vosotros' used constantly in high-stress situations.
Verwandte Inhalte
Mehr general Wörter
a causa de
A2Es bedeutet 'wegen' oder 'aufgrund von'. Es wird verwendet, um einen Grund anzugeben.
a condición de que
B2On condition that, provided that, or given that.
a dónde
A1Wohin? (zu welchem Ort oder Ziel?)
a lo mejor
A2Vielleicht; eventuell. 'A lo mejor' wird im Spanischen sehr häufig in der Umgangssprache verwendet.
a menos que
B1Es sei denn. Ich gehe nicht, es sei denn, er kommt. (I won't go unless he comes.)
a no ser que
B2Es bedeutet 'es sei denn' oder 'außer wenn'. Es leitet eine Ausnahme ein.
a pesar de
B1Trotz; ungeachtet. 'Er kam trotz des Regens.' (He came despite the rain.)
a_pesar_de
B2Trotz des Regens sind wir ausgegangen.
a propósito
B21. Übrigens / Apropos: verwendet, um das Thema zu wechseln. 2. Absichtlich: mit Vorsatz getan. 'Apropos, hast du mein Buch gesehen?' und 'Er hat es absichtlich gemacht.'
a raíz de
B2Infolge von; aufgrund von.
