yo
I
The first-person singular pronoun
Encoding Strategies:
repetition
Yo means I and always refers to the person who's speaking or writing0. Spanish often drops it because the verb ending shows who's speaking, but yo can also be added for emphasis or contrast.
yo
I (subject)
The standard first-person subject pronoun. It is often dropped since the verb conjugation implies it, but can be included for emphasis or contrast.
- Yo soy su hermana = I am her sister
- Yo no fui, fue él = It wasn't me, it was him
me (after comparisons)
After comparison words, 'yo' sometimes translates as "me." Spanish always uses the subject 'yo' here, because the verb is implied ("taller than I am"). English naturally drops the verb and switches to "me."
- Ella es más alta que yo = She is taller than me
- Nadie lo sabe mejor que yo = Nobody knows it better than me
el yo
the ego, the self
When used with the definite article, 'yo' shifts from a personal pronoun to a universal concept to say "the I," referring to selfhood or conscious identity.
- El yo es una construcción social = The self is a social construct
- Freud habló mucho del yo y el ello = Freud spoke a lot about the ego and the id