When to use Usted?
So usted would generally be included if you're talking directly to someone formally, ruling out he/she, right?
Even if you're the only two in conversation, eg: ¿Cómo es? would still need to be ¿Cómo es el/ella/usted?
It wouldn't be assumed that without el/ella that the context is usted if asked directly to someone, is that right? Crude example, I know...
What other situations are considered necessary/unnecessary to include usted in Spanish?
4 Answers
"usted" is semantically 2nd person but grammatically 3rd person. That is, it means the same as "tú" (except for the register) but the form (inflection) of the verb is the same "el/ella".
¿Cómo es usted? and ¿Cómo está usted? are both correct but mean different things. The former means "What kind of person are you?" and the latter, "How are you doing/feeling?" Of course, "What kind of person are you?" (however, correct grammatically) is not something one usually asks directly.
In direct conversation, it's not uncommon to omit the "usted". It's only needed when the context makes it unclear whom you are referring to. If you've been talking about some third person, and you say "¿Cómo es/está?" the listener will assume that you're still talking about that person. On the other hand, if you've just run into someone and say "¿Cómo está?" the listener will reasonably assume "usted" (It would be rather odd, to start a conversation by asking "How is he/she?").
So usted would generally be included if you're talking directly to someone formally, ruling out he/she, right?
Even if you're the only two in conversation, eg: ¿Cómo es? would still need to be ¿Cómo es el/ella/usted?
VcF: Yes, even if you and one other person are in the conversation, it's important to address questions to each other in either the "tú or usted" form.
In English if my friend and I are alone; I don't ask, How are she; but I ask How are you; so too in Spanish.
Also, In Spanish it's proper to use the verb estar rather than ser to ask the question How are you?.
Using the tú form: ¿Cómo estás?
Using the usted form: ¿Cómo está?
Corrections are appreciated as I'm not a native or fluent speaker.
So ¿Cómo es usted? is incorrect but ¿Cómo está usted? is correct?
I would have followed the same rule for both these, with ¿Cómo es usted? as ''what are you like?''
What am I missing?
Cheers.
Como es usted, you wouldn't really say because you only use usted when speaking directly to (usted) that person. Ex: How is teacher makes no sense but if i'm talking to my friend and I ask her how the teacher is and say "how is she" (the teacher) then it makes sense, so in translation: Como es ella? would be correct. If speaking to the person (usted) then yes you would be like ¿Comó está usted? usually usted is only used when speaking to someone formally or un desconocido (unknown person, always use your manners!) Usted is polite to use when meeting someone new unless your like 15 and they are around the same age then you would just use tú cus they would look at u funny. Usted is used as a formality in a more business, formal setting where you wouldn't want to tutear (use tu) your boss. Besides that usually its just a little common sense and thinking on how you classify that person as either someone you can tutear or not.
