usted
you
Reviewed by: David WestfallCofounder
The polite "you," which takes the same verb forms as he and she
Encoding Strategies:
repetition
Usted means you, but it's the polite one. It's like a formal waiter asking "Would sir like to see the wine list?" You're being addressed directly, but the sentence treats you as a he or a she, which is why it takes the third person conjugations.
usted
you (formal)
Used to address one person when you want to show respect or be polite.
Señora, ¿usted necesita ayuda con las maletas?Ma'am, do you need help with the suitcases?
Doctor, usted me dijo que volviera en dos semanasDoctor, you told me to come back in two weeks
ustedes
you all (Spain, formal)
Used in Spain to address a group politely, where it contrasts with the informal plural form vosotros.
Señores, ¿ustedes ya decidieron qué van a cenar?Gentlemen, have you all decided what you're going to have for dinner?
Les agradezco a ustedes por acompañarnos esta nocheI thank you all for joining us tonight
you all, you guys (Latin America, informal or formal)
Used in Latin America to address a group, where it is the only plural option and carries no formality.
Chicos, ¿ustedes quieren ir a la playa mañana?Guys, do you all want to go to the beach tomorrow?
Ustedes llegaron antes que nosotrosYou guys arrived before we did