Subject pronouns tell us who performs the action of a verb. In Spanish, pronouns are often optional because the verb ending already shows the subject — but you need to know them for clarity and emphasis.

The Subject Pronouns

• yo — I
• tú — you (informal singular)
• él / ella / usted — he / she / you (formal)
• nosotros / nosotras — we
• vosotros / vosotras — you all (Spain)
• ellos / ellas / ustedes — they / you all

Tú vs. Usted

Tú — friends, family, peers, children.
Usted — strangers, elders, bosses, formal situations. Conjugates like él/ella.

Vosotros vs. Ustedes

In Spain, vosotros is the informal plural. In Latin America, ustedes covers all plural you forms.

Note: yo is not capitalized in Spanish unless it starts a sentence.