I just learned something totally, totally new. Usted as a non formal friendly "tú" type response. Why?

Question

Check out this conversation.

It ends with "pongase a chupar, asi se curan las penas"

Have a drink, that way cures all that ails ya.

So I asked "Hey that's your good friend right? Why usted form?" Porque dijo pongase a chupar y no ponte a chupar?

and he said "hmm... lo de hablarse de usted, es muy común... no es formal, ni de respeto... nomás es una forma de hablar"

Anyone can explain this? I don't get it. Why usted when it's not formal, just a way of talking? I want to learn that way of talking. Let's learn that way of talking.

Answer 1

¡Hola!, Jeezle:

I don't usually reply to your threads because you have said that you are not interested in the replies of less advanced learners. However, in this case, I think your question is pretty basic and advanced knowledge is not required.

What occured to me was to wonder what ever happened in the English language to all the thous and thees that might have indicated that thou art my good friend and thy concerns are my concerns. Is it possible that your amigo and others in their use of Spanish are rejecting usual "tutear"ing in the same way as English dropped it into disuse so long ago???

¡Ay dios mio! Is Spanish a living language subject to change???

Dontcha wonder???

oooooh:-) - lagartijaverde, Oct 12, 2011

Answer 2

Jeezle, it is an interesting form and my native speakers tell me " it is that way" there does not appear to be an explanation other than that.

Answer 3

I suppose one could say that this is a form of play acting, but it´s not done with conversations that are very serious - just passing statements. When I last lived in Mexico, my former fiancée and I would do this quite often.

I am going to start using a mix of this play usted an tu form then. As a way to figure it out I think. - jeezzle, Oct 11, 2011

Just remember that this is only done with people with whom you normally tutear - not the other way around - 005faa61, Oct 11, 2011

Entonces, le deseo a usted, don Jeezzle, mucho éxito con esta manera de hablar - 005faa61, Oct 11, 2011

Answer 4

Sometimes people tend to call their friends or relatives by the formal way, "De usted". It's just a way of speaking, it really means nothing special when you say it to someone you know well.

Not a lot of people talk like this. I don't talk like that, nor have I ever, and non of my friends talk like this either.

Answer 5

Formal mode or "usted" is very used in latin america for all people (friends, etc...), in Spain we use "Tu" always, And "Usted" only for what you know as "formal mode".

Answer 6

jeezzle, my Costa Rican friend always talks with me in a formal mode and I've asked her countless times why do you do that? And she's always told me "that's the way we talk". I don't know about the younger folks (my friend is 40ish) but you ain't never going to hear a tú from her.

I'm guessing this is the same phenomenon? or not. I've not heard this in any conversations with my Mexican cohorts. Very interesting... If it's just a way of talking, I do like it :~)

Everyone in CR, no matter how old they are will talk in the usted form. - Rey_Mysterio, Oct 11, 2011

Answer 7

I honestly dont know how it is explained, but i do know that it is good like that. In my opinion he was trying to be poetic.

Answer 8

I've found, when living in Spain that while Spanish people go for "tu" in most cases these days, (thus leaving "usted" to one side as a special/formal mode of address), the numerous south american people I met and worked with tended to use the "usted" form much more in informal situations. Certainly the "vosotros" was often supplanted by "ustedes" .

Answer 9

Its true what your friend said.

Pues ensenamela wey, no entiendo lo de porque ;) (soy poeta) - jeezzle, Oct 11, 2011

Orale pues, te lo enseno - Rey_Mysterio, Oct 11, 2011

Andale pues. ;) - jeezzle, Oct 11, 2011

He was trying to be poetic - Rey_Mysterio, Oct 11, 2011