Can someone help me with lesson 1.3-1.5 ?
I need help with the chart. I do not understand the plural and singular part of spanish 1st person 2nd person and third person.
5 Answers
Before you think about this in Spanish, you have to understand what the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd person are in English.
"Yo" means "I". This is the first-person singular.
"Tú" means "you - familiar". This is the second-person singular.
"Ella/él/usted" means "she/he/you - formal". This is the third-person singular.
"Nosotros/nosotras" means "we". This is the first-person plural.
"Vosotros/vosotras" means "you-plural (only used in Spain)". This is the second-person plural.
"Ellas/ellos/ustedes" means "they (female)/they (all male or mix of male and female)/you all (you plural" - This is the third-person plural.
Ok, Sonrisa gave you the pronouns. Now lets look at the verbs.
In English we have a simple verb system.
I walk.
You walk.
He/ she, it walks.
We walk.
Y'all walk.
They walk.
Well in Spanish it is broken down a lot more as to who is doing the walking,
Caminar - to walk
Camino - I walk.
Caminas - You walk
Camina - He/ she/ it/ you formal walks.
Caminamos - We walk,.
Caminaís - Y'all walk
Caminan - They, y'all formal walk.
Caminar is an -ar verb. Verbs that end in -er and -ir have slightly different endings, but it basically works the same.
Keep learning and this will all be second nature to you.
Before you think about this in Spanish, you have to understand what the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd person are in English.
You is 3rd person in neither English nor Spanish.
I, we (yo, nosotros) refer to the person speaking. [1ª]
You, (tú, vos, vosotr@s, usted, ustedes) refers to the person being spoken to [2ª]
He, she, it, they (él, ella, ell@s, ello) refer to the person being spoken about [3ª]
Your chart concerns verb endings used for the different subject pronouns. For example, 2ª formal usted is placed in the chart along with 3ª (singular) él, ella because it also used the 3ª verb ending, but that does not make usted 3ª. It is 2ª, singular, formal (as opposed to 2ª, informal singular (tú or vos)).
In other words, the chart is saying: these are the subject pronouns that take the 3ª, singular verb endings: él, ella, usted [ello]. It is not saying usted is 3ª.
This common method of grouping usted along with él, ella may simplify things for beginners first learning to conjugate verbs, but becomes very confusing later on when you learn the differences for saying you and you all between Spain and Latin America. And most people tend to drop the explanation that the chart is merely showing which verb endings go with which subject pronouns, and it is not defining what constitutes persona in Spanish.
- disclaimer: Back when Vd., Vds, (vuestra merced-your grace) was a 3ª way to express you, it was , indeed, 3ª. When usted, ustedes (Ud., Uds. (you) evolved as the formal way to express you, they continued to use the 3ª verb ending for 2ª formal you.
Great teamwork!
This common method of grouping usted along with él, ella may simplify things for beginners first learning to conjugate verb, but becomes very confusing later on when you learn the differences for saying you and you all between Spain and Latin America.
Paco has been doing this (the differences for saying you and you all) and I was very confused because you are right I learned usted along with él and ella. Thanks for the information, Q.
