INTRODUCTION OF SUBJECT PRONOUNS
INFINITIVE PORTION OF THE VERB A verb is an action word. The main form of the verb is called the infinitive…it includes the word “to”: To run To eat To swim To sit To sink To study
THE INFINITIVE FORM OF THE VERB The infinitive is the pure form of a verb…The infinitive is like a lump of clay that can be molded to match the subject of the sentence it is used in: I speak You speak He/she speaks We speak You-all* speak They speak THESE FORMS ARE CALLED CONJUGATIONS OF THE INFINITIVE “TO SPEAK”
SUBJECT PRONOUNS The words “I” “you” “he” “she” “we” “you-all” and “they” are called SUBJECT PRONOUNS Yo……………….I Usted…………..you El………………..he Ella……………...she Nosotros………..we Ustedes…………you-all Ellos………………they
SUBJECT PRONOUNS Spanish subject pronouns are both similar to and different from their English counterparts: Usted…………………..you Tu……………………….you In Spanish the word “you” has a formal way of saying it and an informal way: “Usted” is more formal and is generally used to express respect, but “Tu” is more familiar and is used among friends, coworkers, relatives, or when addressing a child. Usted………………………you formal Tu…………………… you informal (familiar)
GENDER-SPECIFICS FOR SUBJECT PRONOUNS Let’s look at the word “nosotros”: this means “we” in the sense of a group containing at least one male. If the group contains only females, the word “nosotras” is used Nosotros……………………….we (masculine or mixed groups) Nosotras……………………….we (feminine) The same happens with “they”: Ellos…………………………..they (masculine or mixed group) Ellas…………………………...they (feminine)
SUBJECT PRONOUNS In Spanish, when we are TALKING TO A GROUP, we use “you-all”: Ustedes…………………………….you-all In Spanish, when we are TALKING ABOUT A GROUP, we use “they”: Ellos/Ellas…………………….they
SUBJECT PRONOUNS Subject Pronouns in Spanish: SINGULAR Yo……………………………I Tu…………………………….you (familiar) El……………………………..he Ella…………………………...she Usted…………………………you (formal)
SUBJECT PRONOUNS PLURAL NOSOTROS………………we (masculine or mixed gender) NOSOTRAS……………….we (feminine) ELLOS………………………they (masculine or mixed gender) ELLAS……………………….they (feminine) USTEDES…………………….you-all