Vosotros o ustedes: compañeros de piso vs. funcionarios

Diferencia rápida entre vosotros/ustedes al hablar con compañeros de piso o funcionarios.

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Dannis

2 min reading time

Verbs Pronouns

Keywords:

vosotros ustedes ¿Podéis traer...?¿Pueden traer...?funcionarios compañeros de piso

Estás en un piso compartido con gente de tu edad. ¿Qué suena natural para pedir documentos a tus compañeros?

Choose the option that would be natural in Spain in an informal context among people of the same age.

Correct: 0/8

Hints for this Quiz

Think: at home it’s an informal situation. Choose the form you would use with friends.

Choose the option that would be natural in Spain in an informal context among people of the same age.

Rule for Spain: between people of the same age and in everyday situations you use tú/vosotros. So "¿Podéis…?" is correct. In official or formal contexts you use usted/ustedes (this is emphasized in our course materials on politeness and registers).

In a formal situation choose ustedes + 3rd person: "Pueden".

Formal plural register in Spain.

With civil servants in Spain you use the form usted/ustedes and the verb in 3rd person plural: "¿Pueden…?". This follows the norm of formal politeness in bureaucracy, where they also often use "¿Podría…?" to sound even more polite.

In Spain, between friends/people your age, you use "vosotros".

Fill in with the form that sounds natural among flatmates.

Between flatmates you use the form "vosotros": "¿podéis…?" sounds natural.

Polite and formal: ustedes + 3rd person.

We are talking to two older people in a formal context.

In a formal plural context you use "ustedes": "¿pueden firmar…?" is correct and polite. The formal etiquette used in Spanish public offices is highlighted in this course (for example: "¿En qué puedo ayudarle?").

In formal bureaucracy there is distance and respect.

In official or administrative situations you use usted/ustedes. Among people of the same age in everyday life you use tú/vosotros. This rule about registers is highlighted in the section on politeness and forms of address in the administration.

Older landlords = usted/ustedes.

We are talking to an older couple who own the property, so it’s formal and plural: "¿Pueden…?"

Think about Spain: group of friends = "vosotros".

With friends you use "vosotros vivís". In Latin America "ustedes" is often used, but in Spain the informal plural form is "vosotros".

Ustedes + 3rd person sounds polite and natural in offices.

This is a polite formal request in the plural: "¿Pueden decirme…?". Remember the standard politeness in Spanish administration: "por favor", "¿Podría…?", etc.