what is the different between ti and tu

Question

grammar

That's a good question come to think of it - Isamar, Apr 19, 2011

sure - magdy1990, Apr 19, 2011

Answer 1

tu is a subject and ti is an object

Answer 2

First of all, you must know that "tu" and "tú" are different words. One is translated as "your" (e.g. "your trousers") and the other one as "you" (e.g. "How are you?"). Besides the meaning, they are pronounced with different stress.

Now, assuming that you meant "ti" vs "tú", English has lost this distinction for the "you" pronoun, but it sill keeps it for "I" and "he/she/it", so I will use these pronouns to show you the difference:

I want something for I.

Obviously the sentence is wrong, but why? You can say that in Chinese, for example. The reason requires a lengthy explanation spanning more than a millennium back in time, so let's just say that in English, when someone does something, you say "I", but after a preposition you don't say "for I", but "for me". Similarly, you say "he does something", but not "for he", but for him", and not "for she", but for "her". In Spanish, you say "tú haces" (you do), but you can't say "para tú" (for you), but "para ti" (for you). Ironically, in English "you do" and "for you" happen to be the same, while in Spanish, "él hace" (he does) and "para él" (for him) are the same form.

Answer 3

Tu is not a subject. It is a possessive pronoun and must precede a noun. Tu sonrisa, tu libro. Tú is a subject. [tú] Eres alegre, ¿Estás [tú] aquí?

What is the difference? They are different but they refer to the same person.

Te is an object. If I give something to you, Te doy.