Translation
you (informal singular subject)
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Word origin
From Latin tu ('you'), unchanged in form for two thousand years; the same root gives French tu and Italian tu.
- Origin
- Latin
- Root
- tu
- English cognates
- thou
Examples
¿ ?
What do you think about all this?
.
You always arrive before me.
, .
Between you and me, I do not like it at all.
, .
If you do not come, we are not going.
.
It is you who decides.
Tú is the informal second-person singular subject pronoun - the "you" for friends, family, children and anyone you are on first-name terms with. The written accent is load-bearing: tú is the pronoun, tu without the accent is the possessive ("tu casa" - your house). One mark, two different words.
As with every Spanish subject pronoun, tú is usually left out - "hablas" already means "you speak". Use it for emphasis or contrast ("tú decides"), and choose it over usted whenever the situation is friendly rather than formal; most of Latin America and all of Spain use it freely among peers.
Where this fits
Used in
Stories
(47)Me muero
1 min read · Core 1000
Casi perfecta
2 min read · Core 1000
¿Cómo llego al museo?
2 min read · Core 5000
Diez años
2 min read · Core 1000
En clase: la chica nueva
2 min read · Core 5000
Para gente joven
2 min read · Core 1000
Un lunes en Bogotá
2 min read · Core 5000
Una entrevista para un trabajo de verano
2 min read · Core 5000
Cocinar juntos
3 min read · Core 1000
¿El coche o el carro?
3 min read · Core 5000
El correo a la jefa
3 min read · Core 5000
El mejor café de la calle
3 min read · Core 5000
El nuevo doctor de Paula
3 min read · Core 1000
El partido de los sábados
3 min read · Core 5000
Espero que vengas
3 min read · Core 5000
La fiesta sorpresa
3 min read · Core 1000
La habitación libre
3 min read · Core 5000
La noche del concierto
3 min read · Core 5000
La nota de Rafa
3 min read · Core 5000
La promesa de Lucía
3 min read · Core 5000
Lo que de verdad importa
3 min read · Core 5000
Más vale tarde que nunca
3 min read · Core 5000
Media docena de huevos
3 min read · Core 5000
No creo que sea grave
3 min read · Core 5000
No estoy embarazada
3 min read · Core 5000
Pedro conoce a alguien
3 min read · Core 5000
Perdido en la ciudad
3 min read · Core 1000
Por lo tanto, decidimos
3 min read · Core 5000
Por todas partes
3 min read · Core 5000
Preparando la visita
3 min read · Core 5000
Tú y tu hermano
3 min read · Core 5000
Un mes sano
3 min read · Core 5000
Una distribución imposible
3 min read · Core 5000
¡Vaya sorpresa!
3 min read · Core 5000
Cocinar con el abuelo
4 min read · Core 5000
El primer día de Laura
4 min read · Core 1000
Laura busca piso
4 min read · Core 5000
Mis mensajes son privados
4 min read · Core 5000
El árbol no cabe
5 min read · Core 5000
El plato azul
5 min read · Core 5000
Hasta abril
5 min read · Core 5000
La lengua de la abuela
5 min read · Core 5000
Ochenta y nueve lunes
5 min read · Core 5000
Palabras de cocina
5 min read · Core 1000
Sin entrada
5 min read · Core 5000
Un día tarde
5 min read · Core 5000
Un viaje sin suerte
5 min read · Core 5000
Grammar articles
(56)Spanish Accent Rules: Agudas, Llanas and Esdrújulas
Advanced Spanish Grammar (C1-C2): Sounding Native
Spanish Grammar Cheatsheet: The Essentials, One Page
Spanish Text Cohesion and Style: Avoiding Repetition
Spanish Comparatives: más que, tan como and the Irregulars
Spanish Correlative Comparison: cuanto más... más
Spanish Compound Tenses: Every haber Tense on One Chart
Spanish Conditional Tense: me gustaría and Polite Requests
Spanish -ar Verbs: Present Tense Conjugation Chart and List
Spanish -er Verbs: Present Tense Conjugation Chart and List
Spanish -ir Verbs: Present Tense Conjugation Chart and List
Conjugating Spanish Reflexive Verbs in the Present Tense
Spanish Verb Conjugation Chart: Every Tense, with Examples
Spanish Demonstrative Pronouns: That One, éste and esto
Spanish Demonstrative Adjectives Chart: este, ese, aquel
Spanish Diacritic Accents: tú vs tu, sí vs si, qué vs que
Spanish Filler Words: bueno, pues, vale, o sea and more
Spanish Formal Commands: Usted and Ustedes Imperative
Spanish Future Tense: ir a, hablaré and Irregular Stems
Spanish Greetings and Survival Phrases: Say Something Today
Spanish Commands: the Imperative for Tú, Usted, Nosotros
Spanish Imperfect Subjunctive: Endings, Conjugation, Quiz
Spanish Imperfect Tense: Endings and Only Three Irregulars
Ir a + Infinitive in Spanish: Voy a, Vas a, Va a
Spanish Irregular Verbs: The Five Groups, with Charts
Spanish Negative Commands: no + Subjunctive for Every Person
Spanish Indirect and Direct Object Pronouns (le vs lo)
Spanish Obligation: tener que, hay que, deber and necesitar
Spanish Perfect Subjunctive (haya hablado) with Practice
Spanish Pluperfect Subjunctive and Conditional Perfect
Spanish Pluperfect (Past Perfect): The Past Before the Past
Spanish Politeness: Softening Requests with ¿Podría...?
Spanish Possessive Pronouns: el mío, el tuyo, el suyo
Spanish Possessive Adjectives: mi, tu, su Chart
Spanish Prepositional Pronouns: mí, ti, conmigo, contigo
Spanish Compound Prepositions: delante de, a pesar de
Spanish Present Perfect: he hablado, ha vivido, hemos visto
The Spanish Present Progressive: estar + Gerund (-ndo)
Spanish Present Subjunctive: Forms, Irregulars and Practice
Spanish Preterite Tense: Endings and the Irregular Stems
Spanish Question Words: List, Accents and qué vs cuál
Spanish Reflexive Verbs: List of 30, Pronouns and Meanings
Spanish Regional Grammar: voseo (vos tenés) and ustedes
Tú vs Usted in Spanish: Register, vosotros and ustedes
Spanish Reported Speech: Tense Backshift (dijo que)
Saber vs Conocer: The Two Spanish Verbs for 'To Know'
Ser and Estar: Past Tense and Adjectives That Change Meaning
Ser vs Estar in Spanish: When to Use Each (Chart and Quiz)
Spanish Set Phrases: tener ganas, echar de menos and More
Spanish Si Clauses: If Sentences, si tuviera, si hubiera
Spanish Spelling Traps: b vs v, g vs j and the Silent h
Spanish Stem-Changing Verbs: e>ie, o>ue, e>i Boot Verbs
Spanish Subject Pronouns Chart (and Why Natives Drop Them)
Spanish Subjunctive After Wishes: quiero que, ojalá
How Spanish Builds Verbs: -izar, -ecer, -ificar, -ear
Spanish Word Order: SVO, Pro-Drop and the Five Rules
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Spanish · Free printables
tú: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Spanish word "tú" (you (informal singular subject)): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
This word is taught in chapter 2, lesson 1: tú, de, que and 11 more words.