Formal usage

Question

In Spain is the formal (usted) way of speaking declining. I go to spain only on holiday so everyone I meet is a stranger, does this mean I should only ever use the formal way.

Kenneth

Welcome to the forum! It would be helpful for us if you could fill in your profile. - actorgirl, Mar 24, 2014

on it - steerpike, Mar 24, 2014

:) - actorgirl, Mar 24, 2014

Answer 1

'Tu 'is thenormal way, unless you're the customer.

In shops, at the doctors etc. address people as ´usted´, it´s never wrong, but a teacher friend of mine confirms that all her students now call her' tu,' and by her first name.

I called my teachers'' tu ''from day one when I was there. I write to my solicitor and my property agents in 'tu' form. The bank manager I would however adress as ' usted'. He has the power.. Tu is the the norm. In Sweden, my native country, we've had a similar development, but we're further ahead and I must be of the very last generation to have used 'ni'. Nowadays we say ' du' to all and sundry and ' ni' would be an insult.

I have fallen out with one firm of property agents and now I adress them very formally as 'ustedes' to make this clear to them.

:) - ian-hill, Mar 24, 2014

Answer 2

I was in Spain recently and a woman referred to her very old father as "mi padre" and not "mi papá" when I asked about him. She adressed in the formal way as well.

So I guess the formal is still very much part of Spanish.

mama and papa are not used much in Spain, Ian. Madre y padre are the norm. - annierats, Mar 24, 2014

She told me that she used the formal padre and usted because of his advanced age. - ian-hill, Mar 24, 2014

I'v hardly ever herad ' papa'. But people did use to say ' usted' to theri parents, so if the woman was quite old, it's not so odd. - annierats, Mar 24, 2014

Undoubtedly the very young say: mami, Papi, papa, wahtever.. But I nevr ,ever say ' mummy' in Englsish, it sounds sickly sweet to me, so there we are. - annierats, Mar 24, 2014

Apologise for teh typos, I'm very tired, going to finish packing and go to bed now. - annierats, Mar 24, 2014

Answer 3

I'd tend to agree with you that the "tú" form is much more common nowadays, even among strangers. But you can never go wrong with using "Ud.," especially with strangers.

Answer 4

I am not a native Spanish speaker, but I think that yes, you should use the usted form with people that you meet unless you become close friends with them, or they first address you in the tu form.

Answer 5

You don't need to be close friend to use usted, in Spain we usually use "tú" for almost every situation. Only when you are in a very formal situation (maybe in a formal meeting) or when you speak to old people we use "usted" to be more respectful. But it's quite different in Latin America. In Latin America "usted" is used very much than in Spain.

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