when to use te and tu?
when do i use te and when do i use tu?
1 Answer
Hi Lordgrunty
"Tú" (with the tilde) is a subject pronoun, and it is used to refer to the subject of the verb just like the corresponding English subject pronoun "you." The main difference between the use of subject pronouns in English and Spanish is that in Spanish, the subject is implicit in the verb form, so the use of the subject pronoun is somewhat redundant in Spanish and is avoided unless it is used for emphasis, contrast, as a free-standing pronoun (¿Tú? ¿Has ganado la loteria? - You? You've won the lottery?) or to avoid ambiguity.
"Tu" (without the tilde) is a possessive adjective, and it is used to show possession/property or to show a relationship between people and things, ideas or other people. The corresponding English word would be "your." For example tu comida favorita - your favorite food; tu casa - your house.
"Te" can act as either a direct object pronoun or an indirect object pronoun and can be used to convey the idea of "you" in regards to the direct object of a verb or the idea of "to you/for you" when it acts as an indirect object pronoun.
I hope this clears up a few things for you, but I have also provided links to relevant references on the topics presented here and would suggest you have a look at them for a better understanding of the topics.
