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¡Hola, amigos! Today, we’re diving into the world of pronouns in Spanish.
Pronouns are the small but mighty words that make our sentences clearer and more efficient. Instead of repeating names or nouns over and over, we can use pronouns to keep our speech and writing smooth and concise. Subject pronouns take the place of the subject in a sentence, while object pronouns replace the object, making it easy to talk about who’s doing what to whom.
For young learners, mastering subject and object pronouns in Spanish is a crucial step in developing strong grammar skills. These pronouns help children create well-structured sentences and avoid repetition, making their communication clearer and more natural in Spanish.
Let’s explore these crucial components of speech in Spanish!
Subject and object pronouns vocabulary list in Spanish
Understanding the difference between subject and object pronouns is key to mastering Spanish grammar. The following subject and object pronouns are part of the Studycat Learn Spanish app for kids, designed to make learning grammar both fun and practical. By practicing these pronouns, children can improve their sentence-building skills and enhance their overall understanding of Spanish grammar.
Here’s a list of common pronouns in Spanish and a brief explanation of how they are used:
Subject pronouns
I - yo
yo (pronounced: yoh)
“Yo estoy aprendiendo español.”
“I am learning Spanish.”
you (informal) - tú
tú (pronounced: too)
“Tú eres mi amigo.”
“You are my friend.”
he - él
él (pronounced: el)
“Él corre rápido.”
“He runs fast.”
she - ella
ella (pronounced: EH-yah)
“Ella canta hermosamente.”
“She sings beautifully.”
we - nosotros/nosotras
nosotros (masculine, pronounced: noh-SOH-trohs)
nosotras (feminine, pronounced: noh-SOH-trahs)
“Nosotros vamos al parque.”
“We are going to the park.”
they - ellos/ellas
ellos (masculine, pronounced: EH-yohs)
ellas (feminine, pronounced: EH-yahs)
“Ellos están viendo una película.”
“They are watching a movie.”
me - me
me (pronounced: meh)
“Ella me dio un regalo.”
“She gave me a gift.”
you (informal) - te
te (pronounced: teh)
“Te veré mañana.”
“I will see you tomorrow.”
him - lo
lo (pronounced: loh)
“Laura lo llamó ayer.”
“Laura called him yesterday.”
her - la
la (pronounced: lah)
“¿Puedes decirle a ella que venga aquí?”
“Can you tell her to come here?“
us - nos
nos (pronounced: nohs)
“El profesor nos elogió.”
“The teacher praised us.”
them - los/las
los (masculine, pronounced: lohs)
las (feminine, pronounced: lahs)
“El juego los divirtió.”
“The game amused them.”
Relative pronouns in Spanish
Relative pronouns connect a dependent clause to an independent clause, adding extra information to a sentence. These pronouns are crucial for creating complex sentences that provide more detail. Let’s look at some common relative pronouns in Spanish:
who - que/quien
que (pronounced: keh), quien (pronounced: kee-EN)
“Marla, quien es una gran estudiante, también es bailarina de ballet.”
“Marla, who is a great student, is also a ballet dancer.”
which - que
que (pronounced: keh)
“El libro, que compré ayer, es sobre ciencia.”
“The book, which I bought yesterday, is about science.”
that - que
que (pronounced: keh)
“La bicicleta que te di era verde.”
“The bike that I gave you was green.”
whose - cuyo/cuya
cuyo (masculine, pronounced: KOO-yoh)
cuya (feminine, pronounced: KOO-yah)
“Lisa tiene una amiga cuyos abrazos son muy buenos.”
“Lisa has a friend whose hugs are really good.”
Indefinite pronouns in Spanish
Indefinite pronouns refer to nonspecific persons or things. They are useful when you don’t need to specify who or what you’re talking about. Here are some common indefinite pronouns in Spanish:
all - todo/toda/todos/todas
todo (masculine singular, pronounced: TOH-doh)
toda (feminine singular, pronounced: TOH-dah)
todos (masculine plural, pronounced: TOH-dohs)
todas (feminine plural, pronounced: TOH-dahs)
“Todos mis vestidos son verdes.”
“All my dresses are green.”
another - otro/otra
otro (masculine, pronounced: OH-troh)
otra (feminine, pronounced: OH-trah)
“Él no era la persona que trajo el gato, fue otro.”
“He wasn’t the person who brought the cat, it was another.”
any - alguno/alguna/algunos/algunas
alguno (masculine singular, pronounced: al-GOO-noh)
alguna (feminine singular, pronounced: al-GOO-nah)
algunos (masculine plural, pronounced: al-GOO-nohs)
algunas (feminine plural, pronounced: al-GOO-nahs)
“¿Te queda algún jugo?”
“Do you have any juice left?“
anybody/anyone - alguien
alguien (pronounced: al-gee-EN)
“No he hablado con alguien todavía.”
“I haven’t talked to anyone yet.”
anything - algo
algo (pronounced: AL-goh)
“Lisa no trajo algo para comer.”
“Lisa didn’t bring anything to eat.”
Demonstrative pronouns in Spanish
Demonstrative pronouns point to specific things in space or time. They help clarify which objects or people are being referred to in a conversation. Here are some common demonstrative pronouns in Spanish:
this - este/esta
este (masculine, pronounced: ES-teh)
esta (feminine, pronounced: ES-tah)
“Sí, este es mi libro. Lo necesito para estudiar.”
“Yes, this is my book. I need it to study.”
these - estos/estas
estos (masculine, pronounced: ES-tohs)
estas (feminine, pronounced: ES-tahs)
“¿Has probado estos? Son mis cupcakes favoritos.”
“Have you tried these? They are my favorite cupcakes.”
that - ese/esa
ese (masculine, pronounced: EH-seh)
esa (feminine, pronounced: EH-sah)
“¡Mira eso! Es una pintura encantadora.”
“Look at that! It’s a lovely painting.”
those - esos/esas
esos (masculine, pronounced: EH-sohs)
esas (feminine, pronounced: EH-sahs)
“Necesito esos colores, los que están en la mesa.”
“I need those colors, the ones on the table.”
How to learn and remember subject and object pronouns in Spanish
Here are some fun and interactive ways to reinforce your understanding of subject and object pronouns in Spanish:
- Role-playing game**:** Act out short dialogues using different Spanish subject and object pronouns. This helps solidify their usage in conversational contexts.
- Pronoun swap**:** Take turns rewriting sentences by changing the nouns to appropriate Spanish pronouns.
- Pronoun matching game: Create a game where players match Spanish subject pronouns with their corresponding object pronouns.
- Fill in the banks**:** Provide sentences with missing pronouns and have learners fill them in, practicing their ability to choose between Spanish subject and object pronouns.
- Stories with pronouns**:** Write a short story in Spanish and use a variety of subject and object pronouns to describe the actions and experiences of different characters.
As we conclude our exploration of subject and object pronouns in Spanish, remember that these small words play a big role in how we communicate every day in Spanish.
Until our next grammatical adventure, keep practicing and using pronouns to make your Spanish speech and writing smooth and efficient!
¡Adiós!