Por tí ----> What are formal (Ud and Uds) forms?

Question

Hi all, Just ran into the first thing I have to do for an assignment which I'm totally lost on. We're converting a conversation between YO y Tú into one between NOSOTROS y Ustedes. Problem is, it has ¨por tí¨ in it. I know it means for you, but we haven´t studied it yet, so I´m lost at how to put ´por tí´ into Ud and Uds equivalents.

I know it´s really simple, but our workbook has accidentally asked things we´re not qualified to answer yet.

thanks roger

Great question, Roger. - --Mariana--, Feb 24, 2012

Answer 1

It would be... por usted, or por ustedes.

Also, ti never, EVER has an accent - if you ever see it, it is a mis-print.

Thanks for the original answer, plus the fix on ´ti´ I was thinking that since mí got one, that ti also did. This is an extension of us not really having had ti yet, but having it thrown in an assignment anyway. I DO now notice the lack of accent there - rogspax, Feb 24, 2012

Answer 2

I am still not quite sure what the difference is

Esta pedazo de torta es para mí. This piece of cake is for me.

Este regalo es para ti. This gift is for you (informal).

Esta manzana es para usted. This apple is for you (formal).

Este regalo es para nosotros. This gift is for us.

Estos boletos son para ustedes. This tickets are for all of you (formal and informal).

Gracias por tu ayuda. Thank you for your help (informal).

Gracias por su ayuda. Thank you for your help (formal).

Gracias por tu ayuda, Tosh. That was very helpful. - NancyGrace, Feb 24, 2012

Answer 3

There are also differences between "por ti/usted" and "para ti/usted". I think they would only confuse you now... but just realize that they exist.

Mí has an accent to differentiate it from the possessive pronoun mi. Ti does not need an accent because the possessive pronoun is tu.

Thanks, make sense. No differentiation required, so no accent. It seems Ud and Uds are invariant, regardless of being subject, direct object, indirect object etc. - rogspax, Feb 24, 2012

Answer 4

Dear rogspax,

The point about the workbook -- you would not really need "ti" for the answers.

An example to illustrate your question would be:

Esto regalo es por tú.

Esto regalo es por Ud.

Both mean "this gift is for you", but tu is the familiar form, and Ud. is the formal form.

Ti would be a whole different lesson (I hope!)

Very good question, though!

Actually, if you are talking about a gift FOR somebody, compared to doing something FOR somebody... it would be Este regalo es para ti. - Tosh, Feb 24, 2012

Thanks for the correction, Tosh. I am still not quite sure what the difference is -- I must be dense. Maybe you could explain it in more detail? Thanks. - NancyGrace, Feb 24, 2012

Yes, though a beginner, I¨m pretty comfortable with Usted vs Tú, when in those exact forms. What I was lost on, was the sentence (which we had to convert) of ¨Vengo por ti mañana a las siete y media¨ which I´ve now put down as Venimos por ustedes - rogspax, Feb 24, 2012

...since we had to convert both from singular to plural, and informal to formal. I just didn´t know that Usted was the same as subject or object or object of preposition. Was looking for a new form that doesn´t, it turns out, exist. Thanks to ALL - rogspax, Feb 24, 2012