yo soy - need some help

[fletcher]

hey guys well i have been listening to my audio cd and i have come across a couple words that im not sure are right i have used online translators but they dont match up. the words im talking about are

yo soy does this mean i am ?

when i translated it said lo estoy means i am.

im only after learning simple spanish at the moment so want simple words but when i hear two sayings and im not sure which is right im dont know which to remember.

gracias.

[sosia]

yo soy Roberto: I am Roberto
yo soy carnicero: I'm a butcher
yo soy colombiano: I'm from Colombia.

Saludos :D

[fletcher]

great gracias so, yo soy can mean i am, and i'm

thankyou very much.

sorry i got another question and didnt want to start a new post for that, so I on its own is yo?

[María José]

Correct!:D

[fletcher]

great thanks its just when i use a translator to check words out they dont always match up, typed I in and it said it was just I. thanks again sorry to be a pain.

[Rusty]

Machine translations are usually quite poor.
Try the translator here in our forums instead of the one you're using, though, because it'll do a better job. :) There is a translator link just under the page heading, to the right of the page.


As you learned above, yo means I. This is called a subject pronoun. More exactly, it's the first person subject pronoun. The first person subject pronoun is always I in English, and yo in Spanish.

The first person subject pronoun may be omitted in Spanish, because the conjugated verb fully conveys the person. Other subject pronouns may also be omitted, for the same reason. Only the third person subject pronouns need to accompany the conjugated verb (at least once), because the conjugated verb is the same for each of these persons.

Have a look at the table below. It may clarify that last paragraph. :)
The table shows the conjugation of four different verbs in the present indicative tense. I included the verb ser (to be) because you were questioning that verb in particular. The verb ser is classified as an irregular verb (its conjugation doesn't follow the establish rules). The other three verbs adhere to the rules for their type. All verbs are classified by the last two letters in their infinitive (-ar, -er, and -ir).

The person is indicated for each set of verbs. As you can see, most of the subject pronouns are embedded in parentheses. Only the ambiguous third person conjugation must be accompanied by its subject pronoun (until it's understood to which person you're referring).


{||}| Infinitive | Conjugation | English Equivalent
{|} First Person Singular | | |
{|}| hablar | (yo) hablo | I speak
{|}| comer | (yo) como | I eat
{|}| vivir | (yo) vivo | I live
{|}| ser | (yo) soy | I am
{|} Second Person Singular | | |
{|}| hablar | (tú) hablas | you speak
{|}| comer | (tú) comes | you eat
{|}| vivir | (tú) vives | you live
{|}| ser | (tú) eres | you are
{|} Third Person Singular | | |
{|}| hablar | él habla | he/it speaks
{|}| | ella habla | she/it speaks
{|}| | usted habla | you (formal) speak
{|}| comer | él come | he/it eats
{|}| | ella come | she/it eats
{|}| | usted come | you (formal) eat
{|}| vivir | él vive | he/it lives
{|}| | ella vive | she/it lives
{|}| | usted vive | you (formal) live
{|}| ser | él es | he/it is
{|}| | ella es | she/it is
{|}| | usted es | you (formal) are
{|} First Person Plural | | |
{|}| hablar | (nosotros) hablamos | we speak
{|}| comer | (nosotros) comemos | we eat
{|}| vivir | (nosotros) vivimos | we live
{|}| ser | (nosotros) somos | we are
{|} Second Person Plural | | |
{|}| hablar | (vosotros) habláis | you speak
{|}| comer | (vosotros) coméis | you eat
{|}| vivir | (vosotros) vivís | you live
{|}| ser | (vosotros) sois | you are
{|} Third Person Plural | | |
{|}| hablar | ellos hablan | they (masculine, or mixed gender) speak
{|}| | ellas hablan | they (all feminine) speak
{|}| | ustedes hablan | you (formal) speak
{|}| comer | ellos comen | they (masculine, or mixed gender) eat
{|}| | ellas comen | they (all feminine) eat
{|}| | ustedes comen | you (formal) eat
{|}| vivir | ellos viven | they (masculine, or mixed gender) live
{|}| | ellas viven | they (all feminine) live
{|}| | ustedes viven | you (formal) live
{|}| ser | ellos son | they (masculine, or mixed gender) are
{|}| | ellas son | they (all feminine) are
{|}| | ustedes son | you (formal) are

[María José]

Wow! You shamed me into silence once again, Rusty. Very stylish explanation. ( a lot better than my lazy one-word answer).

[Rusty]

:o Thanks, María José, but you know it wasn't my intention to upstage. I wanted to give Ross a little to chew on; something to whet his appetite. :)

[bobjenkins]

great gracias so, yo soy can mean i am, and i'm

thankyou very much.

sorry i got another question and didnt want to start a new post for that, so I on its own is yo?
No es posible añadir a lo que dijo Rusty, expecto quizás que debes buscar las diferencias entre ser y estar
It´s hard to add anything to Rusty´s great explanation, but I will add that you should look into the differences between "ser" and "estar" which can be confusing because they both mean "to be"

[CrOtALiTo]

hey guys well i have been listening to my audio cd and i have come across a couple words that im not sure are right i have used online translators but they dont match up. the words im talking about are

yo soy does this mean i am ?

when i translated it said lo estoy means i am.

im only after learning simple spanish at the moment so want simple words but when i hear two sayings and im not sure which is right im dont know which to remember.

gracias.

I'll give you some examples, that I believe my partners have gave you time before.

I'm Jorge
Soy Jorge
I'm here.
Estoy aqui.
I'm making my food for this afternoon.
Estoy haciendo mi cominda para esta tarde.

I hope that those examples can be useful for you.

[chileno]

No es posible añadir a lo que dijo Rusty, excepto quizás que debes buscar las diferencias entre ser y estar
It´s hard to add anything to Rusty´s great explanation, but I will add that you should look into the differences between "ser" and "estar" which can be confusing because they both mean "to be"

Your fingers are playing games with your mind... :shh:

[María José]

:o Thanks, María José, but you know it wasn't my intention to upstage. I wanted to give Ross a little to chew on; something to whet his appetite. :)
Oh, I do know. You are just a genius and cannot help it.;)

[Sarah]

yo soy Roberto: I am Roberto
yo soy carnicero: I'm a butcher
yo soy colombiano: I'm from Colombia.

Saludos :D


Wouldn't it be soy colombiano for I am Colombian and soy de Colombia for I'm from Colombia?

[bobjenkins]

Wouldn't it be soy colombiano for I am Colombian and soy de Colombia for I'm from Colombia?
Sí:)

[tacuba]

Wouldn't it be soy colombiano for I am Colombian and soy de Colombia for I'm from Colombia?

"Soy colombiana".... si Sarah es tu nombre de verdad.

[Kerflop]

I was always taught that ser was used to describe something that is permanent about a person. - Soy norteamericano.

Were as estar was more temporary - Estoy en la casa de mi abuelita.

Is that correct? I am still in the beginning phases of my learning, but I have used that trick to know when to use which one and it hasn't failed me yet. :)

[hermit]

And there you have it...

[irmamar]

I was always taught that ser was used to describe something that is permanent about a person. - Soy norteamericano.

Were as estar was more temporary - Estoy en la casa de mi abuelita.

Is that correct? I am still in the beginning phases of my learning, but I have used that trick to know when to use which one and it hasn't failed me yet. :)

Ususally it's like this, but not always. How would you say "I'm dead"? "Estoy muerto o soy muerto? ;) :)

[Kerflop]

You wouldn't... you're already dead :)

However, I would say it is "Soy muerto" but I am guessing that is wrong?

[chileno]

You wouldn't... you're already dead :)

However, I would say it is "Soy muerto" but I am guessing that is wrong?

Yes and no...:-)

Soy hombre muerto - I am a dead man when you do something that you know you are going to be heavily penalized, ie: your life.

You could also say "estoy muerto" for the same situation. ( Estaré/I will be dead)