ESPAÑOL 1 – LECCIÓN PRELIMINAR

Formal & informal Greetings

TÚ VS. USTED

In Spanish, there are multiple ways to say “you”. You have to use the correct “you” depending on what you want to express. Let’s take a look at the friendly and formal “you”.

Tú – this “you” is the friendly/informal/familiar you.

Usted – this is the “you” you must use to people you don’t know well, or to whom you want to show respect.

Because we have 2 different versions here, we have to know the rules for when we ask “How are you?”

¿CÓMO ESTÁS? VS. ¿CÓMO ESTÁ USTED?

¿Cómo estás? and ¿cómo está usted? both mean basically the

same thing. They both mean How are you?

However there are two forms of saying this phrase in Spanish. There

is the

1. friendly/familiar way and the

2. formal way.

Let’s take a look at each of them:

¿CÓMO ESTÁS?

¿Cómo estás? – Is the friendly/familiar way to

say “How are you?” It is generally answered with

something like “bien/mal/regular etc. And then the

second speaker would respond by asking the first

speaker how they are by using the friendly/familiar

response ¿Y tú? (and you?). These phrases would

be used with:

¿CÓMO ESTÁS?

a person your own age

A relative

A person you call by their first name

Other friendly/familiar greetings include:

¿Qué tal? and ¿Qué pasa?

¿CÓMO ESTÁ USTED?

¿Cómo está usted? – Is the formal way to say

“How are you?” It is generally answered with

something like “bien/mal/regular etc. And then the

second speaker would respond by asking the first

speaker how they are by using the formal response

¿Y usted? (and you?). These formal phrases would

be used with:

¿CÓMO ESTÁ USTED?

a person you don’t know

Someone older

A person to whom you want to show respect

PRÁCTICA – WOULD YOU USE TÚ OR USTED WITH THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE?

1. un maestro de español

2. Un doctor

3. Tu mamá

4. Un amigo

5. Señor James

6. Tu hermano

1. usted

2. usted

3. tú

4. tú

5. Usted

6. tú

¿CÓMO TE LLAMAS? VS. ¿CÓMO SE LLAMA?

Formal and Informal Greetings

¿CÓMO TE LLAMAS? VS. ¿CÓMO SE LLAMA?

¿Cómo te llamas? and ¿cómo se llama? are both used to ask “What is your name?”

Once again we see a formal and informal version of asking the question.

Te presento a… and Le presento a… both mean “I’d like you to meet…”

Again, there is a formal and informal way of saying this.

Let’s take a look at each:

¿CÓMO TE LLAMAS? AND TE PRESENTO A…/ ¿CÓMO SE LLAMA? AND LE PRESENTO A…

¿Cómo te llamas? and Te presento a…

are friendly/familiar phrases used with:

A person your own age

A relative

A person you call by his or her first name.

¿Cómo se llama? and Le presento a…

are formal phrases used with:

A person to whom you want to show respect

A person you don’t know

Someone older

PRÁCTICA – IMAGINE YOU ARE SPEAKING SPANISH WITH THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?

1. …a classmate. How would you ask for her name?

2. …your little brother and you are introducing María to him. What would you say?

3. …a new coach. How would you ask him his name?

4. …your teacher and you are introducing Luis to him. What would you say?

1. ¿Cómo te llamas?

2. Te presento a María

3. ¿Cómo se llama?

4. Le presento a Luis