Spanish in SA

[JuanJuan]

I am studying Spanish to be used in Ecuador. I was told that the verb conjugation "vosotros" was not used in South America. Is this correct?
Thanks in advance, JuanJuan

[irmamar]

I think they use "ustedes", but let them to answer you.

Welcome :)

[ROBINDESBOIS]

I think they use "ustedes", but let them to answer you.

Welcome :)
let and make are followed by bare infinitive

[bobjenkins]

Creo que vosotros es solamente usado en España
En SA se usa Ustedes:)

[Rusty]

Vosotros is not used in South America, except in literary works (like the Bible, for instance). They use ustedes.

[CrOtALiTo]

It in Mexico is used as Nosotros.

I bid you welcome.

[jannr]

That's right, Juan Juan. Use ustedes instead. There are a FEW times when vosotros is used: the Bible, some political speeches (maybe not in Ecuador) and sometimes in church. But you will never need to use it.

[laepelba]

I would be interested to hear from some of our other Latin American participants (Malila? Oookami?) My Latin American friends use "vosotros" when speaking to each other ... when it's a group of close friends, i.e. people who are very familiar with each other......

[Rusty]

Vosotros is conversationally used only in Spain. It can be found in literary works (poems, prayers, the Bible, hymns), so if we read such things, or if we plan on visiting Spain, we need to be familiar with its use.
Your South American friends are most likely using vos when speaking to a friend (singular person) and ustedes when speaking to more than one person. I doubt they're using vosotros.
Vos isn't used in Spain or Mexico.

[chileno]

I would be interested to hear from some of our other Latin American participants (Malila? Oookami?) My Latin American friends use "vosotros" when speaking to each other ... when it's a group of close friends, i.e. people who are very familiar with each other......

Vosotros is conversationally used only in Spain. It can be found in literary works (poems, prayers, the Bible, hymns), so if we read such things, or if we plan on visiting Spain, we need to be familiar with its use.
Your South American friends are most likely using vos when speaking to a friend (singular person) and ustedes when speaking to more than one person. I doubt they're using vosotros.
Vos isn't used in Spain or Mexico.


IN Chile Tú, Usted and Ustedes are used. Tú is familiar and usted/ustedes formal.

Vos is not used anymore in Chile... Although we still use it very informally and with close friends...it is considered to be rude...or ...? :-)

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

I cannot tell much about South America, since my only source are TV programs (from Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Argentina), but I've never heard anyone there using "vosotros" in regular conversations.

It's definitely never used in Mexico (but then Mexico is not in South America). :D

[pjt33]

Vos isn't used in Spain or Mexico.
It is used in Spain, rarely, but it's not the same vos as used in Argentina. The voseo is a big subject: http://buscon.rae.es/dpdI/SrvltGUIBusDPD?clave=voseo&origen=RAE

[laepelba]

Vosotros is conversationally used only in Spain. It can be found in literary works (poems, prayers, the Bible, hymns), so if we read such things, or if we plan on visiting Spain, we need to be familiar with its use.
Your South American friends are most likely using vos when speaking to a friend (singular person) and ustedes when speaking to more than one person. I doubt they're using vosotros.
Vos isn't used in Spain or Mexico.

Ahhh, Rusty - you're right. I definitely heard "vos" used, but not "vosotros". BUT ... it was definitely used in the plural. The reason I made a mental note of it at one particular time was because one friend was talking to another about the 2nd person's whole family. She was saying something about wanting to see "y'all" soon. I can't remember the exact words, but she was definitely refering to the whole family and used "vos"....

[ookami]

"Vos" is like "Tú", maybe you heared something wrong. "Vosotros" is almost never used... I think I have never hearded it outside school and books.

maybe she said something like "los quiero ver a todos pronto/ya" and maybe you heared bad "los" as "vos" or something like that.

[laepelba]

Seriously, the one time it was written that way, and I double and triple checked. She wrote "vos" to a family of close friends. It occurred to me that it was different than I had been told, so that's why I checked it again. BUT, the bottom line here is that after reading and re-reading all of this discussion ... I WILL NOT use "vos" or "vosotros" in Latin America. Ever. Just to be safe. :)

[CrOtALiTo]

Exist people who use the word Vosotros and vos in Mexico, but normally it's sound very bad at least here in my country already that we should use the word Nosotros and tu, ustedes, ellos, ellas, eso, yo.

I believe that each person has his way very different to speak in anyplace.

[ookami]

laepelba, si lo encontraste escrito puede ser que tengas razón. 'Vos' originalmente es una abreviación de Vosotros, como "Nos", que leo muy amenudo (en libros traducidos o de español de antaño, pero no tan viejo) que sirve de abreviatura a Nosotros. Entonces pudo haber sido como dices.

Espero ver a vos muy pronto = Espero ver a vosotros muy pronto
Espero verte a vos muy pronto = Espero verte a ti muy pronto.

Fuera del uso escrito, dudo que llegues a escucharlo... ya escrito es rarisimo (nunca lo leí ni escuche, pero por analogía del 'Nos' no me suena raro tampoco). Además, no se confunde nunca con el "vos"(tú) porque el tiempo "vos"(vosotros) es plural.

Perdón por no darme cuenta antes, pero era necesario que digas que lo leíste :P

[laepelba]

laepelba, si lo encontraste escrito puede ser que tengas razón. 'Vos' originalmente es una abreviación de Vosotros, como "Nos", que leo muy amenudo (en libros traducidos o de español de antaño, pero no tan viejo) que sirve de abreviatura a Nosotros. Entonces pudo haber sido como dices.

Espero ver a vos muy pronto = Espero ver a vosotros muy pronto
Espero verte a vos muy pronto = Espero verte a ti muy pronto.

Fuera del uso escrito, dudo que llegues a escucharlo... ya escrito es rarisimo (nunca lo leí ni escuche, pero por analogía del 'Nos' no me suena raro tampoco). Además, no se confunde nunca con el "vos"(tú) porque el tiempo "vos"(vosotros) es plural.

Perdón por no darme cuenta antes, pero era necesario que digas que lo leíste :P

Thanks for that great clarification, Ookami. That is very helpful! I'm still going to avoid using it ... written or otherwise. :)

[Villa]

Vosotros is conversationally used only in Spain. It can be found in literary works (poems, prayers, the Bible, hymns), so if we read such things, or if we plan on visiting Spain, we need to be familiar with its use.
Your South American friends are most likely using vos when speaking to a friend (singular person) and ustedes when speaking to more than one person. I doubt they're using vosotros.
Vos isn't used in Spain or Mexico.

Estoy de acuerdo con esto.

[Villa]

I am studying Spanish to be used in Ecuador. I was told that the verb conjugation "vosotros" was not used in South America. Is this correct?
Thanks in advance, JuanJuan

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I don't work for them a proposito.

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