Vosotros - How to conjugate?

[Brandon]

So reading through the thread about schools not teaching the vosotros form, it made me curious to learn more about it. In every Spanish class I have taken so far, we have not used it.

What are the uses? How do I distinguish it from the other personal pronouns (I'm guessing it's mostly comparable to ustedes?) Also, what are the endings for the different tenses (present, pret, imperfect, future, subj, past subj, cond)

Thank you!

[pjt33]

In Spain it's the informal second person plural: i.e. if you're addressing a group of people whom you would individually address as tú then you use vosotros.

Endings:
Present: -áis -éis -ís
Preterite: -asteis -isteis -isteis
Imperfect: -abais -íais -íais
Future: -aréis -eréis -iréis
Pres. subj: -éis -áis -áis
Imp. subj: -arais/-aseis -ierais/-ieseis -ierais/-ieseis
Cond: -aríais -eríais -iríais

[chileno]

Originally Posted by pjt33

In Spain it's the informal second person plural: i.e. if you're addressing a group of people whom you would individually address as tú then you use vosotros.

Endings:
Present: -áis -éis -ís
Preterite: -asteis -isteis -isteis
Imperfect: -abais -íais -íais
Future: -aréis -eréis -iréis
Pres. subj: -éis -áis -áis
Imp. subj: -arais/-aseis -ierais/-ieseis -ierais/-ieseis
Cond: -aríais -eríais -iríais

I always thought that formally or informally you would address a group of people as "vosotros", we use "ustedes" instead.

It is the second person singular where formally or informally comes to play.

Tú - informal/familiar

Usted -formal

What I am not sure of, as I don't remember, if "vos" for the second person in singular is formal or informal/familiar. I don't recall this anymore.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

@Chileno: Archaic "vos" is more respectful than "usted", and is conjugated just like "vosotros".
The current use of "vos" in many Latin American regions is the perfect equivalent of "tú", and has a distinct conjugation.

As for "vosotros" is used the way pjt said: to address a group of people with whom you'd use "tú" individually, but they say "ustedes" if they would use "usted" for each individual of the group.

[Rusty]

Brandon wasn't asking about vos (so he can choose to ignore my answer), but it is a replacement for tú and is, therefore, used with familiarity.

EDIT: I was speaking about the Latin American usage, not the archaic.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar

@Chileno: Archaic "vos" is more respectful than "usted", and is conjugated just like "vosotros".
The current use of "vos" in many Latin American regions is the perfect equivalent of "tú", and has a distinct conjugation.

As for "vosotros" is used the way pjt said: to address a group of people with whom you'd use "tú" individually, but they say "ustedes" if they would use "usted" for each individual of the group.

Yes, I guess that's how it is/was used.

I vaguely remember repeating all the forms to be conjugated for the verb being examined...

[JPablo]

Yes, Brandon, in addition to the previous answers, in Spain, when you want to be FORMAL, you use "usted/ustedes" (2nd person = you, singular/plural.)

Nowadays there is a tendency to be informal (in Spain), so majority of people uses the "vosotros" form, while addressing a group of people. If I give a lecture to 40 students or 200, if I am rather familiar with them, I will use "vosotros".

But, for example, when I was 12, our language teacher (being Spanish Castilian) would address us with "ustedes" to make us "feel important/more adult" or grant us some [undeserved] respect. We were (or at least I was) a bit in "awe" about that way of addressing us.

In Mexico (and many other Latin American countries), however, you will use the "ustedes" form any time, and you will not see/heard the form "vosotros" used.

I hope I am not making this too complex. But ask if you have any question.

[Esperar]

¿Vosotros tienen unas naranjas? You (plural) have the oranges?

That's right I think?

Originally Posted by JPablo

Yes, Brandon, in addition to the previous answers, in Spain, when you want to be FORMAL, you use "usted/ustedes" (2nd person = you, singular/plural.)

Nowadays there is a tendency to be informal (in Spain), so majority of people uses the "vosotros" form, while addressing a group of people. If I give a lecture to 40 students or 200, if I am rather familiar with them, I will use "vosotros".

But, for example, when I was 12, our language teacher (being Spanish Castilian) would address us with "ustedes" to make us "feel important/more adult" or grant us some [undeserved] respect. We were (or at least I was) a bit in "awe" about that way of addressing us.

In Mexico (and many other Latin American countries), however, you will use the "ustedes" form any time, and you will not see/heard the form "vosotros" used.

I hope I am not making this too complex. But ask if you have any question.

Is there a shorter version of nosotros?

[Brandon]

Originally Posted by Esperar

¿Vosotros tienen unas naranjas? You (plural) have the oranges?

That's right I think?

¿Vosotros tenéis unas naranjas? Usa la forma de vosotros.

!Gracias todos! Me lo explicáis muy claro.

[irmamar]

Originally Posted by Brandon

¿Vosotros tenéis unas naranjas? Usa la forma de vosotros.

!Gracias a todos! Me lo explicáis muy claro.

Or simply: "¿tenéis naranjas?"