How useful is the vosotros form?

Question

As a student in Spanish 2, I have noticed a pattern among teachers. Although the vosotros form is included in the textbook, it's never taught, at least not in my district. I was told it isn't universally used, but that nosotros was, so I would not need to learn it. However, I'm beginning to regret ignoring it. Is it necessary?

Welcome to the forum! - Yeser007, Oct 10, 2011

Thanks! - Elena_Delgada, Oct 10, 2011

Answer 1

The Vosotros form for you, as spoken, is used almost exclusively in Spain. iIt is the second person plural form I have given a few examples in the present indicative tense.

eg You (plural) speak/do speak/are speaking: = Habláis

You (plural)give/do give are giving: = Dais

You (plural) know/do know/are knowing: = Sabéis

In Argentina they use vos to refer to you but I do not know if they use it in the same way as the Spanish speaking natives from Spain.

It is important that you are aware of the way in which vosotros is used in Spain. Whether or not you use it is entirely up to you but you will need to know it if you ever plan to live in or travel to Spain.You will also need to know it, as Izanoni rightly says, if you want to read Spanish literature, including Classics like Don Quijote de l La Mancha

I hope this helps

Thank you, this was helpful. I'm not entirely sure why you put the emoticons though xD - Elena_Delgada, Oct 10, 2011

I usually use emoticons These are recognised as part of my trademark/style lol - FELIZ77, Oct 10, 2011

Elena, you had better get used to them, we've all had to. ;) - Yeser007, Oct 10, 2011

I enjoy them, was simply a tad thrown. By the way, just in case anybody wondered, I go by my Spanish name on here. I'm not someone who should know Spanish but doesn't. - Elena_Delgada, Oct 10, 2011

Answer 2

I think most people here will tell you to learn it. I believe it is used in parts of Spain which is why it is in the books.

Answer 3

Well...

If you are planning on reading any significant amount of Spanish literature or communicating with any of the probably 50 million or so Spanish speakers in the world who use this form every day...

then yeah....you might consider it useful.

There's no need to be cruel. It was just a question. - Elena_Delgada, Oct 10, 2011

Sorry...I did not mean to come of sounding cruel. - Izanoni1, Oct 10, 2011

...and I apologize if my answer caused any hurt feelings.... - Izanoni1, Oct 10, 2011

...but in all seriousness, knowing the vosotros form is often quite useful when it comes to wading through Spanish literature.... - Izanoni1, Oct 10, 2011

You mean 500 million? - Elmar, Oct 10, 2011

...not to mention communicating with those in the world who do not view these forms as "optional" - Izanoni1, Oct 10, 2011

I'm sorry if I misinterpreted your comment. - Elena_Delgada, Oct 10, 2011

Along a similar vein, the "vos" form is rarely taught in schools (at least not in the U.S.), yet, depending on where you go in the world, it can prove to be fairly beneficial to learn... - Izanoni1, Oct 10, 2011

In any case, I apologize if I in any way came off sounding smug as this was not my intent :) - Izanoni1, Oct 10, 2011

Apology quite accepted. - Elena_Delgada, Oct 10, 2011

@PalV2: No, I meant 50....I was only accounting for the Spanish Speaking population of Spain, which last I checked was somewhere around 50M :) - Izanoni1, Oct 10, 2011

:) - FELIZ77, Oct 10, 2011

Answer 4

I agree. I don't use it, but I find it very useful to know because you come across it in reading and with speaking to many people. I was in a chat with a few people from México and I asked if they were taught provosts. They said yes. They don't use it, but it's taught in the school.

It is very easy to learn once you know the other forms.

There is a series of podcasts that are produced in Scotland. I avoided the first series (Coffee Break Spanish) because the use the vosotros and I didn't want to get confused. Maybe I was correct in doing so at that stage, I don't know. However I have been fully enjoying their intermediate program called Show Time Spanish. The accent and the vosotros doesn't throw me at all.

You mean the Scottish accent? That would confuse me quite a bit. - Elena_Delgada, Oct 10, 2011

Yes, the Scottish. It didn't confuse me at all because they speak with good (as far as my ears are concerned) Spanish accents. I don't hear the Scottish accent until they speak English - elainepnj, Oct 11, 2011

Answer 5

I took spanish courses (public school in a suburb of Houston, TX) beginning in 6th grade all the way through college level Spanish 4 (4th year advanced) and was never taught vosotros...

Then I moved to Barcelona, Spain for my last semester of college and it was not too hard to pick up. In fact, I found it difficult to restrain these past years when doing business with my latin american clients!!

In Spain, Vosotros is used similarly to "you all" or, like we say in Texas, "y'all"