Spanish pronouns

The pronouns in Spanish are a very interesting part of speech, and also seemingly very complex. They vary in form, gender, number, sometimes even written together with the verb, and the same pronoun can act as a variety of parts of speech. We must not forget about some of the nuances that sound very strange to the Russian ear.

What is a pronoun?

First you need to understand for yourself what a pronoun is and what are its features. This is an independent part of speech (along with the verb, noun), which replaces the noun. For example, if we say: “The boy went home,” then we can replace the first word with a personal pronoun. It turns out: "He went home." Or we can say, “I see a girl,” and then replace the last word with a pronoun. It turns out: "I see her." These parts of speech come in different forms, sometimes replacing numerals, adjectives, or even a verb. In addition, the pronoun can indicate the number of objects and their signs!

Personal pronouns

Personal pronouns (I, we, etc.) in Spanish vary by case and person, and also sometimes by gender. So, we have the following picture:

Singular:

1. Yo = I

2. Tú = You.

3. In the 3rd person there are three pronouns ::

Él = He.

Ella = She.

Ello = It.

Usted (Ustedes) = You (polite form in plural and singular).

And in the plural, Spanish pronouns also vary depending on which gender the person refers to:

Nosotros (in J.R. Nosotras) = ​​we (male and female, respectively),

Vosotros (in J.R. Vosotras) = ​​you;

Ellos (Ellas) = ​​them.

If we are talking, for example, about two persons, one of which is male and the other female, then the masculine form is used: ellos, vosotros. Spanish is a gender language. In it, the masculine gender always prevails.

Verbs in Spanish are inflected in numbers and cases, so personal pronouns are often omitted in speech. So, for example, instead of "yo leo" - I read - the Spaniards will simply say "leo". The end of the verb indicates who the subject is, so the subject can often be omitted. In this, the language of Cervantes is similar to Latin.

In such a field of grammar as personal pronouns, Spanish is a rather complex language. First, remember dialects and regional differences. In Latin America, for example, the pronoun vosotros is not used - you. People turn to everyone in a polite formal form “You” - Ustedes, even to friends and relatives. You can also abbreviate the pronoun Usted as Ud., Or Vd., (In the plural Uds. And Vds. Respectively). This abbreviation is formed as a result of the merger of the two words Vuestra mersed and means “Your Grace”.

Shock free form

In indirect cases (dative and accusative), Spanish pronouns can appear in two forms. If a pronoun is used with a verb without a preposition, then in Spanish it is called unstressed, or unrestricted. In Russian, an analogue of this is the form of the dative and accusative cases.

If the verb in the sentence is presented in indefinite form, Spanish pronouns are written with the verb together. Example: "Quieres llamarme?" - do you want to call me? Here we see that the verb "to call" - llamar - is joined by the pronoun "me".

If there are two pronouns, then the first thing that is written is that in the dative case, followed by the accusative: “Damelo” - give me this. This word consists of three: “give” + “me” + “this”. Sometimes it seems that remembering is absolutely impossible, but daily practice will help.

The most difficult thing is to remember these numerous Spanish pronouns. The table that you will keep with you at all times will be the best way to remember.

Shock form of personal pronoun

The stressed (independent) forms of personal pronouns in Spanish are those used with the prepositions en, para, a, de, por, sin, con. The forms of these pronouns coincide with the personal ones, with the exception of the first and second person singular: they will be mí and tí, respectively. For example, the phrase “for me” would sound like “para mí”.

The singular pronouns with the preposition "c" - con, form a special form. So, they turn into conmigo, contigo and contigo (with me, with you and with him, respectively). This rule cannot be explained logically, you just need to remember that it is right to say that.

Possessive pronouns

In Spanish, these parts of speech can act as adjectives and nouns in speech. In the first case, they are put before the word and are inclined by numbers and sometimes by birth: for example, my friend is mi amiga, our friends are nuestros amigos. Such Spanish pronouns appear to be an independent part of speech and confront a noun. The article in this case is not set.

There are also independent possessive pronouns that replace a noun. They are also consistent with the number and face. So, to the question "Whose house is this?" we get a definite answer: “Mía” is mine. Here, the speaker means the word casa - "home".

Spanish Demonstratives

The main and main function of these parts of speech is the allocation of the object of action among several. Spanish pronouns are of three kinds. These are este, ese and aquel (and their derivatives). In Russian, we have only the pronouns “that” and “this”. In Spanish, "this" is divided into "one who is closer to the speaker" and "closest to the interlocutor." By time - pronouns are divided into those that relate to the present and the present moment, and those that describe the events of the past. So, for example, in the sentence “this Russian newspaper the demonstrative pronoun will be“ esto ”in the necessary form. But if we add the participial phrase“ which you read, “the situation will change. Compare:

Este peri ó dico es ruso

Ese peri ó dico, que estas leyendo, es ruso.

In general, the boundary between these two pronouns is extremely subjective. The speaker himself determines which word to choose. Sometimes the border is almost transparent, and both options are correct.

As for aquel, it indicates those objects that are out of sight. The considered word is translated into Russian by the pronoun "that".

Like possessive pronouns, demonstratives can fulfill the function of a noun in a sentence and speech.