Is using vosotros/vosotras really necessary?

Question

My Spanish teacher says that "vosotros and vosotras" isn't important.I want to know if it is really needed.

Answer 1

Depends on where you want to go. Argentina? Certainly you need it. Spain? Sure they use it. Mexico? Not so much. My Mexican spanish teacher didn't teach it all and said we wouldn't need to know it, and around here you really don't need to. But it is in vogue to use it, and all the cool kids are learning it. True story.

• or if you run into someone who has live in argentina or spain, you will want to know it then as well - thetree16 Feb 9, 2011

Answer 2

Your teacher's way of thinking was certainly the case in the 1970s and 80s, when she likely went to school. Or if not, it was handed down to her by her teachers, who went to school in the 1970s or before.

Back then, the only chance most US kids would have to use any of the Spanish they learned in school would be from Mexicans, who don't use the vosotros form, or on the rare vacation to Spain. In short, they were right back then.

But now it's 2011, and we have the internet. We aren't limited geographically at all any more. You can talk to friends in Spain and Argentina every day if you want.

Add to that the vast amount of periodicos and other written material online, and yes, it's different now. Learn the vosotros form, at least a little bit. You'll need it if you really want to know Spanish.

• thank you - BlackStarX Jan 18, 2011
• Great answer Greg! - Nicole-B Jan 18, 2011
• Yeah, I would say that it´s probably useful to at least learn to recognize verb forms for vosotros etc., even if you end up never actually using them. - alchymyst Feb 9, 2011

Answer 3

I have some Dominican friends who laugh when they hear it used. To them, it is something used only in church. I think it would be similar to hearing someone say "hath", "thou", "thy", etc. in English.
I also used vosotros with some Colombian friends and they immediately corrected me by saying "No señor, eso es muy españolo. No hablamos así."
Bottom line, it all depends on whom you plan to speak to.

Answer 4

It depends on where you are, who you plan on conversing with, and most importantly, how fluent you wish to be.

When I teach, I do not cover the vosotros form. This is because I teach in California, and the Spanish-speaking populations here are not only mostly from Mexico, Central America and Peru, but even those who use 'vos' would prefer not to use it with 'Spanish learners', as often the feeling is that 'vos' is not educated.

If you wish to fully become fluent, then vosotros is crucial, not only to understand Spaniards, but to understand voseo, particularly with those from the Rio Plata area (Argentina, Uruguay, parts of Paraguay). In order to understand documents written more than 75 years ago, particularly Spanish documents, one must understand vosotros forms.

If you are traveling Spain, you're really ok. They know most Americans don't know the vosotros form, and you come off as overly formal, perhaps, but on the other hand Spaniards tend to be more direct and casual in their speech than most Latin Americans, particularly with more use of direct commands and different politeness techniques. Most of the time you can pick it up, too, over there.

Answer 5

If you wish to fully become fluent, then vosotros is crucial

I guess I'm even more amazed at how most of Spanish America is not 'fully fluent'.

• :-) :-) Vote - Gekkosan Feb 9, 2011
• i already did! lol want to vote on mine :) :) - thetree16 Feb 9, 2011
• It's like those darned Americans trying to speak English. - KevinB Feb 9, 2011

Answer 6

Even in Spain it won't be that useful since the vosotros form is only used for "family only" so unless you are very close to the person you are talking to, they won't even use it and if you use "ustedes" they can understand you anyway so there is no point of learning it unless you want to be a Spanish teacher.

• yes, but if a person you meet is speaking about their family, they will use it so you would want to be familiar with it. - thetree16 Feb 9, 2011

Answer 7

@Kassie27

Vosotros forms are definitely not used only for family.

Is vosotros REALLY necessary?? No, it's not. You can just learn to understand the forms and recognize it when you hear it, but continue to just use 'ustedes' for 2nd person plural, and you in turn will be understood (yes, even in Spain, it's what I do).

-Charlius-

• ty! this really needed to be clarified! :) - thetree16 Feb 9, 2011

Answer 8

i belive it's not quite important.. But if you want to learn then you need to know it anyway

Answer 9

I've gotten by for 30-some years without ever speaking it in real life. But all my experience is in Latin America and Southern California. It's important, especially if you visit Spain, or read literature or watch T V or movies from Spain, But it's not the most important thing.

Answer 10

14 verb tenses X 6 congugations per tense+ gerund + infinitive + participal + past participle = 88 conjugations per verb Subtract the vosotros conjugations and that leaves 74 conjugations you must still learn without vosotros! I would suggest learn vosotros. I will. It won't add much more work and you will be a more capable speaker.

Answer 11

vosotros y vosotras está en desuso, excepto en Centro America, pero no usan vosotros/vosotras, nomás usan vos

Answer 12

I've had 3 different college spanish professors, and they all said it is not important. They didn't teach it and they didn't test it. However, now I am continuing Spanish on my own and I'm trying to at least familiarize myself with it. I do think it will be helpful if I ever go to Spain or Argentina, or read classic Spanish literature.

I'm curious... someone said in Spain vosotros is for family only. Do they not use the vosotros form when talking to a group of friends, or a group of children? ( People you would nomally address with tú?) I would think if it is used when talking to two or more friends, you would use it a lot over there.

Answer 13

good question! while in some areas, like mexico, they don't use it, you will still want to learn it incase you went to a country that uses the vosotros form. also, if you run into a spanish speaker from ,say, argentina or spain, and they start to use it, you will want to be familiar with it. so it is good to have a grasp on it, but not essential.

hope this helps!