In this lesson, you will learn about a specific type of pronoun and verb form used in South and Central America. Specifically, this lesson will cover:
1. The Pronoun vos
Voseo is the use of the second person singular subject pronoun vos instead of the pronoun tú to mean “you.”
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Vos is used the same way as tú to address a “you” that is informal, such as a family member, peer, friend, child, or pet.
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The pronoun vos is especially common in Argentina and Uruguay, but it is also used in other parts of Central and South America.
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In Argentina, it is very important to know how to use
vos, as it has now become the pronoun that is used to mean "you" in all contexts, regardless of whether the situation is formal or informal.
The subject pronoun vos is used with all verb tenses. The present and imperative verb forms (and sometimes the present subjunctive) have special vos forms that are different from the tú forms. The imperative form is a verb form used to issue commands; it is not used for statements or questions. All other tenses, such as the past tense, use identical verb forms for tú and vos; the tú verb form is simply combined with the pronoun vos.
If speakers who use vos hear other speakers using vos, it creates a bond of shared cultural identity because it is not a form that is commonly seen in a textbook or used in educational Spanish.
It is rare to hear vos used in these countries:
- Mexico
- Cuba
- The Dominican Republic
- Puerto Rico
- Perú
- Spain
Some people in certain Spanish-speaking countries may use both
tú and
vos interchangeably depending on whom they are speaking to. Countries where
tú and
vos are both used include:
- Colombia
- Venezuela
- Bolivia
- Ecuador
- Panama
- Chile
The following lists present the countries that primarily use the pronoun
vos instead of
tú.
South America:
- Argentina
- Uruguay
- Paraguay
Central America:
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- El Salvador
- Nicaragua
- Costa Rica
You may also encounter other variations on the
vos form in parts of Venezuela and Panama, where speakers may combine the pronoun
vos with
vosotros verb forms.
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Learning
voseo shows a lot of respect for Spanish speakers from regions where this form is used. You do not need to know it in order to communicate with Spanish-speaking people who use
voseo, but it sets you apart as being culturally aware of an important linguistic phenomenon used in many countries throughout Latin America.
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- Imperative Form
- A verb form used to issue commands.
2. Verb Forms for vos
So, how do you create the vos verb forms?
- For regular verbs, the present tense form for vos is formed by changing the -r at the end of the infinitive to -s and adding an accent mark over the final vowel to show the stress on the last syllable.
- The imperative (command) form for vos is created by simply dropping the -r at the of the infinitive and then adding an accent mark to show the stress on the last syllable.
Look at the examples of present tense and imperative
vos forms in the following chart.
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Audio
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Verb (Infinitive)
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Present vos Form
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Imperative vos Form
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salir
(to go out)
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salís
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salí
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venir
(to come)
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venís
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vení
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mirar
(to look)
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mirás
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mirá
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comer
(to eat)
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comés
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comé
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tener
(to have)
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tenés
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tené
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decir
(to decide)
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decís
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decí
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The only verbs that have irregular vos forms are ser, ir, and haber. Note that there is no imperative vos form for the verb ir. Instead, the closely related verb andar (to walk / to go) is used when forming the command.
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Audio
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Verb (Infinitive)
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Present vos Form
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Imperative vos Form
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ser
(to be)
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sos
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sé
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ir
(to go)
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vas
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andá (from the synonym verb andar)
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haber
(to have)
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has
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no imperative form
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Watch the video to practice an informal conversation using the vos forms that you learned from this lesson.
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Place the correct
vos form of the verb in parentheses in the blank. Click on the plus sign to see the answer.
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Practicing is a great way of mastering a skill, such as the use of
voseo. Listening to music by musicians that use
voseo or watching films and shows that feature
voseo are both good ways to practice. Here are some ideas to get you started:
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Music: Search for artists like Rombai, Márama, Mano Arriba, Chano, Turf, Seven Kayne, Milongas Extremas, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Duki, and Cómplices.
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Films: Search for films from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. Also, look for movies from Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
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Series: Just to name one, the Argentine show El marginal packs a lot of drama, and of course, voseo.
In this lesson, you learned about the use of the vos form in Central and South America. The pronoun vos is used in place of tú in certain countries, most commonly in Argentina and Uruguay. In Argentina, the vos form can be used in place of usted as well. To create the present tense verb form for vos for regular verbs, you change the r at the end of the infinitive to an s and add an accent mark over the last vowel. To create the imperative form for vos, simply drop the r from the infinitive and add an accent mark over the final vowel.
¡Buena suerte!
