Can "vosotros" by used for singular "you?"

Question

I am reading The Hobbit in Spanish and near the beginning there is this phrase from Bilbo to Gandolf "¡Gandalf Gandalf! ¡Válgame el cielo! ¿No sois vos el mago errante que dio al Viejo Tuk un par de botones mágicos de diamante que se abrochaban solos y no se desabrochaban hasta que les dabas una orden?"

I think I know the translation, "Gandalf, Gandalf, good grief. Are you not the wandering wizard that gave to old Tuk a pair of magic diamond buttons that fasten themselves and don't unfasten until you have them the order?"

But it is the use of the vosotros third person familiar for a lone person that confuses me. Why not, es, or eres?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voseo - Stadt, Sep 27, 2011

Answer 1

That's "vos" not vosotros. In Argentina, they use that in place of tú.

Oh wow, I did not realize this. Boy, that would have given a native something to laugh about if I had misunderstood them in person. - Fredbong, Sep 27, 2011

I know that in Argentina they say vos sos. Maybe they say sois in another country. - ianta, Sep 28, 2011

Answer 2

¿No sois vos el mago ...?

This is not the "voseo" of the Southern cone. This is, simply, archaic Spanish usage (14th/15th century, roughly). You can hear the same sort of thing in the "Labyrinth".

You and Jen both have my votes. - Goyo, Sep 29, 2011

Answer 3

Samdie is right, this is a form of being very polite in old fashioned Spanish. It's also used in Pirates of the Caribbean and Don Quijote. I suppose it's a bit like the royal we .

Edit: Have a look at this answer by Lazarus

Answer 4

"Vos" is different from "vosotros." Vos is an alternative form for "you-informal". Used just like "tú" but with a slightly different conjugation. Hopefully someone can clarify more while I look for some examples.

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There's a table from Wikipedia: Voseo that breaks this down. Apparently, the conjugation for voseo varies from country to country.

Here's an example for what Wikipedia calls "general voseo":

• hablar - vos hablás
• comer - vos comés
• poder - vos podés

and, of course, for your example: ser - vos sois (irregular)

Thanks Goldie. ;) - Fredbong, Sep 27, 2011

No problem :) - Goldie_Miel, Sep 27, 2011