If you watch a series from Buenos Aires or chat with friends from Central America, you will hear a friendly pronoun that is not túyou (singular informal). Meet vosyou (singular informal). The system that uses vos is called voseo.
The one-sentence answer
Vos is an informal singular "you" used across much of Latin America, especially Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Central America, and parts of Colombia, Bolivia, Chile, and Ecuador. It often changes verb endings compared with túyou (singular informal).
Where do people use vos?
Think of voseo like an accent for grammar. It is normal and friendly in many places.
- Strong and widespread
- Argentina and Uruguay
- Paraguay
- Central America: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica
- Common in regions
- Colombia: Antioquia and the Coffee Region, Valle del Cauca, parts of the west
- Bolivia: Santa Cruz and lowlands
- Ecuador: Sierra and coastal cities like Guayaquil
- Chile: informal speech, with local twists
- Venezuela: Zulia and some Andean areas
- Limited or historical pockets
- Southern Mexico, especially Chiapas and nearby areas
- Rare or not used
- Spain and most of the Caribbean
How polite is vos?
It is as friendly as tú in voseo regions. For formal situations people still use ustedyou (formal singular).
How does vos change the verb?
The magic of voseo is in the stress and endings. Here is the everyday present tense pattern:
- -ar verbs: vos hablás
- -er verbs: vos comés
- -ir verbs: vos vivís
Notice the accent mark on the last syllable. For a quick refresher on regular present endings, see our guides to -ar verbs and -er/-ir verbs.
Quick patterns
- Present tense: hablás, comés, vivís
- Irregulars keep the root more regular than tú: tenés, venís, podés, querés
- Ser is special: vos sos
- Ir is regular here: vos vas
- Affirmative commands: hablá, comé, viví, vení, decí, hacé, poné, salí, tené, andá, sé
Tú vs. vos at a glance
Drag the handle to compare
Another common pair:
Drag the handle to compare
And in case you are wondering about Spain:
Drag the handle to compare
Irregulars you will hear all the time
- ser: vos sos
- tener: vos tenés
- venir: vos venís
- poder: vos podés
- querer: vos querés
- decir: vos decís
- hacer: vos hacés
- poner: vos ponés
- salir: vos salís
- ir: vos vas
Affirmative commands use a similar feel (see our overview of affirmative commands):
- hablá, comé, viví
- vení, decí, hacé, poné, salí, tené, andá, sé
If you want a deeper dive into key verbs mentioned above, review tener and ir in the present.
About negative commands
Negative commands vary by region. You may hear "No hablés" or "No hables". Locals will understand both. Follow your target region.
Compound tenses
With haber most speakers say "vos has hablado". You may also see "habés" in some areas, but "has" is widely understood.
Want to review how the present perfect (has/have + past participle) works? Check our guide to the present perfect tense.
Real-life phrases you will hear
- ¿De dónde sos?
- ¿Cómo te llamás?
- ¿Qué hacés hoy?
- ¿Podés ayudarme un segundo?
- Si querés, nos vemos mañana.
Arrange the words to form a correct sentence:
Want to see voseo in context? Try a short graded story at A1: Spanish stories (A1)
Common mistakes to avoid
- Mixing pronouns and endings in the same style
- Avoid: "vos tienes"
- Use: "vos tenés" or "tú tienes"
- Forgetting the accent mark in the present
- Use: "hablás, comés, vivís"
- Confusing singular vos with plural ustedes
- Singular informal: vos
- Plural you in Latin America: ustedesyou all
Quick practice
Which sentence would you most likely hear in Buenos Aires?
Should you learn vos?
- Planning time in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, or Central America? Learn it
- Studying general Latin American Spanish? Know how to recognize it
- Traveling to Spain only? You can skip it for now, but still good to understand
Accent tip
That final accent helps you sound natural. Say ten-ÉS, ha-blÁS, co-MÉS, vi-VÍS.
Final takeaway
Vos is friendly, local, and very alive. Learn a handful of patterns and you will understand it fast. If you aim for a voseo region, go ahead and use it with confidence.