Latin American Spanish does not use vosotros.
Response to the query in detail
Latin American Spanish does not use vosotros, a form of the second-person plural pronoun, which is mainly used in Spain. Instead, Latin American Spanish speakers use the pronoun ustedes to address a group of people, regardless of whether they are formal or informal.
According to the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), the organization responsible for regulating the Spanish language, “The use of vosotros, particularly in Latin America, is limited to a number of regions, mainly Andalusia, Extremadura, Castile, and León.”
A fun fact is that there are actually more Spanish speakers in Latin America than in Spain, making Latin American Spanish the most widely spoken form of Spanish. According to Ethnologue, a language resource website, there are over 420 million speakers of Spanish worldwide, with over 380 million in Latin America.
Here is a table comparing the use of vosotros and ustedes in Spain and Latin America:
| Spain | Latin America | |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd person singular informal | Tú | Tú |
| 2nd person singular formal | Usted | Usted |
| 2nd person plural informal | Vosotros | Ustedes |
| 2nd person plural formal | Ustedes | Ustedes |
In conclusion, Latin American Spanish does not use the pronoun vosotros, instead preferring the use of ustedes regardless of whether a group is formal or informal. As the RAE notes, the use of vosotros is only prevalent in certain regions of Spain, while the majority of Spanish speakers throughout the world use ustedes for second-person plural usage.
Response to your question in video format
The YouTube video “Ustedes VS Vosotros Explained: When and Where Do You Use Them? (+Conjugation!)” explains the difference between the uses of “ustedes” and “vosotros” in Spanish. “Ustedes” is used in both formal and informal ways of speaking in Latin America and Spain, while “vosotros” is informal and used only in Spain. The video also covers the conjugation differences between the two words and suggests learners download a free Spanish chunking kit. Additionally, the video explains the history behind why there are different words for ‘you’ in Spanish and recommends learners also study the singular forms ‘tú’ and ‘usted.’
Here are some other responses to your query
The use of the third-person plural pronoun is another difference between European Spanish and Latin American Spanish. In Spain the word commonly used is vosotros and in Latin America you will often hear ustedes. Vosotros is never used in Latin America. Spaniards recognize ustedes but it’s considered extremely formal.
In Latin American Spanish, people don’t use vosotros. Vosotros is only used in Castilian Spanish in Spain. In Latin America, if you want to refer to a group of people, you always use the ustedes form. This is true whether you are talking to your best friends or your boss.
In Latin America they generally do not use vosotros and instead the form of ustedes. This resulting in usted and ustedes also being used in a less formal way in Latin America compared to those who use it in Spain. Vos is used in parts of Latin America and replaces/used as well as tú.
You will not hear people using the word “vosotros” in Latin America. We only use ustedes. Vosotros is used in Spain only (and not even the whole of Spain, there are parts, like Canarias and Western Andalucía where they don’t use vosotros). So if you are learning the Spanish of Latin America, just only ever use ustedes.
As Lise said, they do have different meanings. As I understand it, the "vosotros" form for "you all" is used primarily in Spain, while it is not used at all in Latin America.
People are also interested
Regarding this, Why is Vosotros not used in Latin America? Answer: A major grammatical difference is in the choice of pronouns. Spain uses the second-person plural “vosotros” (you all) whereas most of Latin America uses the second-person plural “ustedes” to mean “you all.”
Correspondingly, What Spanish dialect uses Vosotros?
Castilian Spanish
Vosotros is used in Castilian Spanish when a person is speaking directly to a group of people, like ustedes is used in Latin American Spanish. This post will provide a detailed guide to the Castilian Spanish vosotros, including what vosotros is, when to use it and how it’s used in different tenses.
Hereof, Is Vosotros ever used in Mexico?
In Mexico, it’s not necessary to differentiate. The same goes for the second-person plural (used when addressing a group, such as “you all”). In Spain, you should use “vosotros,” whereas in Mexico you use “ustedes.”
Keeping this in consideration, Is Vosotros actually used?
The reply will be: The pronoun vosotros (bvoh-soh-trohs) (plural you) is used in spoken Spanish in Spain only. Spaniards use vosotros to informally address a group of people. In all other Spanish-speaking countries, vosotros is taught in the schools, but never used in normal conversation.
Can you use vosotros in Spanish in Latin America?
Vosotros in Spanish is rarely used in Latin America, but if you’re planning to visit Spain and want to blend in, it’s essential for you to master vosotros and know how it works. Using vosotros instead of ustedes is one of the slight differences that distinguish Latin American Spanish from European Spanish.
How do you use ustedes in Latin America?
The reply will be: Ustedes is used in Latin America in both formal and informal situations. Both vosotros and ustedes convey the same sense when speaking Spanish—the preference of one over the other relies on geography. If you’re in Spain and use ustedes, some people might not respond to it or understand it—the same happens if you use vosotros in Latin America.
How do you conjugate vosotros? Conjugating vosotros depends on what type of verb you’re conjugating. Vosotros has different conjugations based on the ending of a verb and the tense. Let’s examine the different conjugations with the verbs hablar (talk), abrir (open), and correr (run) as examples. Vosotros habláis mucho por teléfono. You talk on the phone a lot.
Considering this, What is the difference between Latin American Spanish and European Spanish?
Answer will be: Using vosotros instead of ustedes is one of the slight differences that distinguish Latin American Spanish from European Spanish. It is possible to learn when to use it by recognizing key variations from one country to another in their usage of the Spanish language.
Can you use vosotros in Spanish in Latin America? Answer to this: Vosotros in Spanish is rarely used in Latin America, but if you’re planning to visit Spain and want to blend in, it’s essential for you to master vosotros and know how it works. Using vosotros instead of ustedes is one of the slight differences that distinguish Latin American Spanish from European Spanish.
How do you use ustedes in Latin America?
Ustedes is used in Latin America in both formal and informal situations. Both vosotros and ustedes convey the same sense when speaking Spanish—the preference of one over the other relies on geography. If you’re in Spain and use ustedes, some people might not respond to it or understand it—the same happens if you use vosotros in Latin America.
Beside this, How do you conjugate vosotros?
Response: Conjugating vosotros depends on what type of verb you’re conjugating. Vosotros has different conjugations based on the ending of a verb and the tense. Let’s examine the different conjugations with the verbs hablar (talk), abrir (open), and correr (run) as examples. Vosotros habláis mucho por teléfono. You talk on the phone a lot.
How do you Say ‘You’ in Spanish? In European Spanish, vosotros is a way of saying “you” plural in informal situations. It is by far the most common way to address multiple people when you’re in Spain. In the singular form, the Spanish use tú. This becomes vosotros in the plural form. In Spanish, we use vosotros as the subject pronoun.