*Soy enfermera* is more natural than *yo soy enfermera* because:

the verb ending already says who the subject is, so the pronoun is optional

*Está en casa* is ambiguous. What fixes it?

adding a pronoun, because *él*, *ella* and *usted* all share that one verb form

You are introduced to someone you do not know in Lima. You should:

start with *usted* and let them move you to *tú*

use *tú*, since *usted* is archaic

pick either — it makes no impression

not used at all — the system is *tú* and *usted*

Spanish personal pronouns — and why Peru never says vosotros

Short answer

The Spanish subject pronouns are yo, tú, usted, él, ella, nosotros, nosotras, ustedes, ellos, ellas. They are usually dropped, because the verb ending already identifies the subject. Latin America, Peru included, does not use vosotros at all — ustedes covers every plural "you", formal or not.

Course · Unit: Pronouns CEFR A1 Reviewed by Jhoslyn Updated 2026-09-11

Draft copy. Every claim needs a native-speaker check before publishing — the byline is what makes this citable, so it has to be earned.

The set

Singular		Plural
yo	I	nosotros / nosotras	we
tú	you, informal	ustedes	you, plural
usted	you, formal	ustedes	you, plural
él / ella	he / she	ellos / ellas	they

Nosotras and ellas are used when everyone in the group is female. A single man in the room and it goes back to nosotros.

You will usually leave them out

This is the part that surprises English speakers. The verb ending already carries the subject, so the pronoun is optional — and leaving it in every time sounds heavy.

Soy enfermera. — I’m a nurse. (Not yo soy enfermera.)
¿Eres chef? — Are you a chef?
Estamos en casa. — We’re at home.

Put the pronoun back when you need it for one of three reasons: contrast (yo soy profesora, él es abogado), clarity — because él, ella and usted all share one verb form, so está en casa alone can mean three different things — or emphasis (yo lo hice).

Tú or usted, in Peru

Usted is not archaic here and is not only for the very old. In Lima it is the default for anyone you do not know, anyone noticeably older, and most service interactions in either direction. It reads as respect, not distance.

Tú is for friends, colleagues you have settled in with, anyone your own age in a relaxed setting, and children.

The practical rule: start with usted and let the other person move you to tú. They will, quickly, and often explicitly — puedes tutearme. Starting with tú and being wrong is a much more noticeable error than starting with usted and being slightly formal for one exchange.

There is no vos in Peru either, unlike Argentina or much of Central America. Tú and usted is the whole system.

Vosotros: skip it

Every Spanish course book teaches a six-row conjugation table with vosotros in the fifth slot. In Peru, and in all of Latin America, that row is never used. Ustedes is the only plural you there is, whether you are addressing your best friends or a room of strangers.

You will still want to recognise vosotros when you read European Spanish or watch Spanish television. You will never need to produce it here. If you are short of study time, that row is the safest thing on the page to skip.

The pronouns exist to sit in front of a verb. The first verb worth conjugating is ser, because almost everything you say about yourself in week one runs through it.

→ Ser: conjugation, the five things it is for, and examples

Topics Pronouns Register and politeness Peruvian Spanish

Yo, tú, usted — and no vosotros

Seven questions on the pronoun set, when to leave it out, and the tú or usted decision in Lima.

1In Peru, the plural *you* is:
Answer

ustedes — *Ustedes* is the only plural *you* in Latin America, whether you are addressing your closest friends or a room of strangers. The *vosotros* row in the textbook is the safest thing on the page to skip.
2*Soy enfermera* is more natural than *yo soy enfermera* because:
Answer

the verb ending already says who the subject is, so the pronoun is optional — Spanish verb endings carry the subject, so leaving the pronoun in every time sounds heavy. Put it back for contrast, clarity or emphasis.
3*Está en casa* is ambiguous. What fixes it?
Answer

adding a pronoun, because *él*, *ella* and *usted* all share that one verb form — One form, three possible subjects — so *él está en casa* or *usted está en casa*. This is the clarity case for putting a pronoun back.
4Three women and one man. *We* is:
Answer

nosotros — *Nosotras* needs every person in the group to be female. One man in the room and it goes back to *nosotros*.
5You are introduced to someone you do not know in Lima. You should:
Answer

start with *usted* and let them move you to *tú* — *Usted* here reads as respect, not distance, and the other person will move you on quickly. Starting with *tú* and being wrong is far more noticeable than one formal exchange.
6Somebody says *puedes tutearme*. They mean:
Answer

you can call me *tú* — It is the explicit invitation out of *usted*, and it comes quickly in Peru. Wait for it rather than assuming it.
7*Vos* in Peru is:
Answer

not used at all — the system is *tú* and *usted* — *Vos* belongs to Argentina and much of Central America. Peru has two singular forms and no third option.