Pronouns in Spanish: types and examples

If you have ever wondered how many pronouns there are in Spanish, when to use each one and how, this article is for you. In Spanish there are several types of pronouns that you need to know to fully master the language.

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What is a pronoun in Spanish?

A Spanish pronoun is a word that replaces a noun in a sentence to avoid repeating it and make the speech flow more smoothly. Pronouns in Spanish can perform different functions within a sentence, such as subject, direct or indirect object, among others.

Pronouns in Spanish are divided into different categories, including:

• Personal pronouns
• Spanish possessive pronouns
• Demonstrative pronouns in Spanish
• Relative pronouns
• Indefinite pronouns

Below, you will find a clear explanation of Spanish personal pronouns, their uses and examples to facilitate your learning and understanding of pronouns.

What are Spanish personal pronouns?

Spanish personal pronouns are those that refer to the people involved in the communication. They can replace the subject or the object in a sentence and vary according to grammatical person, number and, in some cases, gender.

Personal pronouns in Spanish are divided into:

1. Subject personal pronouns in Spanish

These type of pronouns in Spanish indicate who performs the action of the verb and are as follows:

The Spanish personal subject pronouns are often omitted because the conjugation of the verb clearly indicates who is performing the action. However, they are used in the following cases:

• To give emphasis or contrast. For example: “Yo prefiero café, pero él quiere té” (I prefer coffee, but he wants tea)
• To clarify the reference when there is ambiguity. For example: “Ella llegó tarde, pero él llegó temprano” (She arrived late, but he arrived early)
• When answering a specific question. Example: “¿Quién rompió la copa de vino? Yo” (Who broke the wine glass? I did)

2. Personal pronouns of complement

Personal pronouns of complement replace the direct or indirect object in a sentence. They are divided into direct and indirect object pronouns.

Direct object pronouns replace the direct object of the sentence, that is, the person or thing that directly receives the action of the verb. They are me, te, lo and la for the singular; while for the plural they are nos, os, los and las.

Indirect object pronouns refer to the person or thing that indirectly receives the action of the verb. These are: for the first-person singular me and the plural nos; for the second person singular is te and the plural os; and for the third person singular is le and the plural, les.

3. Reflexive pronouns in Spanish

Reflexive pronouns in Spanish are used when the action of the verb falls on the same subject that performs it. In this case, they would be me, te, nos, os and se.

It should be noted that in some Spanish-speaking countries, especially in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, the pronoun vos is used instead of tú for the second person singular. The verb conjugation with vos is different from that of tú. For example:

• Tú hablas → Vos hablás (You speak)
• Tú comes → Vos comés (You eat)

Examples of personal pronouns in Spanish

Below you will find some sentences where you can see how and when to use personal pronouns in Spanish:

• Yo siempre desayuno antes de salir de casa (I always have breakfast before leaving home)
• Tú estudias español todos los días (You study Spanish every day)
• Vos tenés que ir al gimnasio mañana (You must go to the gym tomorrow)
• Él juega al fútbol los fines de semana (He plays football at the weekends)
• Ella canta en el coro de la escuela (She sings in the school choir)
• Nosotros viajaremos a España el próximo verano (We will travel to Spain next summer)
• Vosotros sois muy buenos amigos. Ustedes son buenos amigos (You are very good friends)
• Ustedes deben entregar la tarea mañana (You must hand in your homework tomorrow)
• Ellos viven en una ciudad muy grande (They live in a very big city)
• Me gusta mucho la música clásica (I really like classical music)
• Se levantó temprano para ir al trabajo (He got up early to go to work)

Personal pronouns in Spanish are fundamental for communication, as they allow sentences to be more natural and fluent. That's why it's important to know their function and practice using them correctly in different contexts.

But if you still have questions about how to use personal pronouns, don't hesitate to sign up for one of our intensive Spanish courses. Our teachers will help you internalize them and master them in no time. Come discover Spain with don Quijote!