Spanish Grammar Bank
SPANISH PRONOUNS
Spanish pronouns are essential words that replace nouns in a sentence, helping to avoid repetition and clarify who or what is being referred to in various contexts.
In Spanish, there are six categories of pronouns.
Let’s have a look at them.
INTRODUCTION
In Spanish, pronouns are words used to refer to persons, animals, or things without having to name them.
A characteristic that clearly defines a pronoun in Spanish – and that distinguishes them from common nouns – is their inherent ability to reference something specific, as in the example:
Este es mi coche.This is my car.
In the example above, “este” (this) is the pronoun that points to a specific object, “coche” (car), distinguishing it from other possible objects.
The Real Academia Española (the foremost authority in the Spanish language) classifies pronouns into six main categories, each with a specific use and purpose: personal, demonstrative, interrogative, exclamatory, relative, and indefinite.
PERSONAL PRONOUNS
In Spanish, Pronombres Personales (Personal Pronouns) are words that designate the participants in the discourse, including the people and objects being discussed.
Personal Pronouns change form to show who is speaking (first person), who is being spoken to (second person), or who or what is being spoken of (third person).
They also vary according to gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural).
The structure is:
| First Person | Second Person | Third Person | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | yo | tú / usted | él |
| ella | |||
| ello | |||
| Plural | nosotros / nosotras | vosotros | ellos / ellas |
| vosotras | |||
| Ustedes |
Examples:
| Yo camino rápido. | I walk fast. |
| Tú me debes una disculpa. | You owe me an apology. |
DEMONSTRATIVE PRONOUNS
In Spanish, Pronombres Demostrativo (Demonstrative Pronouns) are words that are used to indicate the location of something or someone in relation to the speaker or the listener, like for example:
Esto no me gusta.I do not like this.
In the example above, esto (this) points to something close to the speaker.
Demonstrative Pronouns are categorized according to how near or far something is from the speaker or listener, either in space or time.
The distance these pronouns refer to does not necessarily have to be physical and can be figurative as well.
Demonstrative Pronouns can change depending on the gender and number
| Masculine | Feminine | Neutral Gender | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | este | esta | esto |
| ese | esa | eso | |
| aquel | aquella | aquello | |
| Plural | estos | estas | – |
| esos | esas | ||
| aquellos | aquellas |
Let’s see a few examples:
| Este es el mejor día de la semana | This is the best day of the week. |
| Esa es la Estrella del Norte. | That is the North Star. |
INTERROGATIVE PRONOUNS
In Spanish, Pronombres Interrogativos (Interrogative Pronouns) are words that are used to formulate questions, like for example:
¿Quién viene a cenar?Who is coming to dinner?
Interrogative pronouns are usually placed at the beginning of a question and are followed by a verb.
| spanish | english |
|---|---|
| ¿Quién llamó? | Who called? |
| ¿Qué hiciste ayer? | What did you do yesterday? |
| ¿Cuánto cuesta un café hoy en día? | How much is a coffee nowadays? |
| ¿Cuál prefieres? | Which do you prefer? |
| ¿Qué has dicho? | What did you say? |
| ¿Cuál es el mejor serie? | What is the best series? |
EXCLAMATIVE PRONOUNS
In Spanish, Pronombres Exclamativos (Exclamative Pronouns) are used to express strong emotions such as surprise, disbelief, or admiration, among others. For example:
¡Qué dices, eso no puede ser!What are you saying, that can’t be!
Pronombres Exclamativos are similar to interrogative pronouns but are used instead to express exclamations rather than questions. The following are categorized as exclamatory pronouns:
quién, qué, cuánto, cuál
Pronombres Exclamativos always carry an accent to further indicate their use in an exclamatory context.
| ¡Qué frío hace hoy! | It’s so cold today! |
| ¡Cuánto tiempo sin verte! | It’s been such a long time since I’ve seen you! |
| ¡Quién pudiera irse de vacaciones ahora mismo! | Who could go on vacations right now! |
| ¡Dime cuál escoger!! | Tell me which one to choose! |
| ¡Qué susto me has dado! | You scared me! |
| ¡Cuánta gente hay en la calle hoy! | There are so many people in the street today! |
RELATIVE PRONOUNS
In Spanish, Pronombres Relativos (Relative Pronouns) are words that are used to title relative clauses. These relative clauses provide information about a noun mentioned prior and act as a connecting word between ideas or clauses, like in the example:
El libro que leo.The book I am reading.
In the example above, que (in this context translates to ‘that’), connects the main clause “el libro” (the book) to the subordinate clause “leo” (read), and is used to introduce more information on the noun previously mentioned “libro”.
Pronombres Relativos are categorized either as simple or complex relative pronouns:
| simple | complex |
|---|---|
| que | article (el/la) + cual article (el/la) + que |
| quien | |
| cuanto |
Let’s see a few examples:
| El coche que conduzco es nuevo. | The car I am driving is new. |
| Quien tú digas. | Whomever you say. |
| El teléfono con el que llamas es mío. | The telephone you are calling with is mine. |
| La persona a quien contraten no será mejor que la anterior. | The person whom they hire will not be better than the last. |
| El vehículo del cual dependo no ha llegado. | The vehicle that I am depending on has not arrived. |
| El amigo con el que viaja Sandra es muy simpático. | The friend Sandra is travelling with is very nice. |
INDEFINITE PRONOUNS
In Spanish, Pronombres Indefinidos (Indefinite Pronouns) are quantifying words that are used to refer to unspecified people or objects. Meaning, they are used when the speaker does not need to specify or does not know the exact quantity or identity. For example:
Alguien entró en tu oficina ayer.Someone entered your office yesterday.
These are some of the most commonly used Pronombres Indefinidos:
algo, alguien, alguno, cualquiera, más, mucho, nada, nadie, pocos, varios
| Dame algo. | Give me something. |
| Alguien tiene la culpa. | Someone is guilty. |
| ¿Alguno de vosotros quiere comer? | Does anyone of you want to eat? |
| Más no puedo decir. | I cannot say anything more. |
| Queda mucho por hacer. | There is much left to do. |
| Ella no compró nada. | She didn’t buy anything. |
| No vino nadie. | Nobody came. |
| Somos varios los interesados. | Several among us are interested. |
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FAQs
What are the Spanish subject pronouns?
Spanish pronouns are words that replace nouns in a sentence to avoid repetition and clarify meaning. Here are the main types of pronouns in Spanish:
Subject Pronouns (pronombres de sujeto):
Yo – I
Tú – You (informal)
Él, ella – He, she
Usted – You (formal)
Nosotros, nosotras – We (masculine, feminine)
Vosotros, vosotras – You all (informal, Spain only)
Ellos, ellas – They (masculine, feminine)
Ustedes – You all (formal)
What are the different pronouns in Spanish?
Spanish has several types of pronouns, including personal pronouns (e.g., yo – “I”, él – “he”), possessive pronouns (e.g., mío – “mine”), demonstrative pronouns (e.g., este – “this”), and reflexive pronouns (e.g., se – “himself/herself”).
What difference between subject and object pronouns in Spanish?
Subject pronouns (e.g., yo, tú, él) indicate who is performing the action of the verb, while object pronouns (e.g., me, lo, nos) refer to the person or thing receiving the action.
When do you use reflexive pronouns in Spanish?
Reflexive pronouns (e.g., me, te, se) are used when the subject performs an action on itself, like in the sentence me lavo (“I wash myself”).
Can Spanish pronouns be omitted in sentences?
Yes, subject pronouns are often omitted in Spanish because the verb endings usually indicate who the subject is. For example, instead of saying yo hablo (“I speak”), you can simply say hablo, as the verb form makes it clear that “I” is the subject.
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