If you have heard Spanish speakers say túyou, informal singular in one place and vosyou, informal singular in voseo regions in another, you are not imagining things. Both mean you, singular, informal. The difference is regional and it slightly affects verb forms.
If possessives like tu and tus are new to you, review our quick guide to possessive adjectives (mi, tu, su).
The quick answer
Tú and vos both mean "you" informal, singular. Vos is common in much of Latin America, especially Argentina and Central America. The main grammar change is in the present tense and affirmative commands. In formal situations everywhere, use ustedyou, formal.
Where is vos used?
You will hear voseo in:
- Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay
- Much of Central America, including Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala
- Parts of Bolivia and Chile
- Areas of Colombia and Venezuela
- Southern Mexico in Chiapas and Tabasco
You will hear mostly tú in:
- Spain
- Mexico outside the south
- Peru, most of the Caribbean, and many urban areas across Latin America
Do not confuse vos with vosotros
vosotrosyou, plural informal used mostly in Spain is the informal plural you in Spain. Vos is singular and replaces tú in voseo regions. In Latin America, the plural you is usually ustedes.
How the verb forms change
The pronoun changes from tú to vos, and some verb forms shift in the present and in affirmative commands. Possessives and object pronouns stay the same.
If you need a refresher on present conjugations, review regular -ar verbs and regular -er/-ir verbs.
- Subject pronoun
- tú → vos
- Object and possessives
- te stays te
- tu and tus stay tu and tus
Present tense patterns
In many voseo regions, the present tense has stress on the last syllable and takes an accent mark in writing.
- hablar
- tú hablas
- vos hablás
- comer
- tú comes
- vos comés
- vivir
- tú vives
- vos vivís
Common irregulars
- ser
- tú eres
- vos sos
- tener
- tú tienes
- vos tenés
- venir
- tú vienes
- vos venís
- poder
- tú puedes
- vos podés
- decir
- tú dices
- vos decís
- ir
- tú vas
- vos vas
Want to go deeper on these core verbs? See ser vs estar, the verb tener, and the verb ir.
Other tenses
- Preterite
- tú hablaste, vos hablaste
- Imperfect
- tú hablabas, vos hablabas
- Future and conditional
- tú hablarás, vos hablarás
- tú hablarías, vos hablarías
- Subjunctive
- Many regions use the tú forms
- que tú hables, que vos hables
Need a refresher on past and mood? Compare preterite vs imperfect and learn present subjunctive formation.
Commands
- Affirmative informal commands
- tú: habla, come, vive
- vos: hablá, comé, viví
- Negative informal commands are often the same as tú
- no hables, no comas, no vivas
For a full walkthrough, see affirmative commands (imperative).
Drag the handle to compare
Drag the handle to compare
Mini checklist for learners
- Planning to focus on Spain
- Learn tú and vosotros
- Planning to travel or live in Argentina or Uruguay
- Learn vos, especially present and commands
- Not sure where you will use Spanish
- Learn tú first, then add vos forms for recognition
- Formal or professional settings everywhere
- Use usted
If you also need the polite forms, review formal commands (usted/ustedes).
Memory hooks
- Vos hablás, comés, vivís and commands hablá, comé, viví
- Ser is special with vos sos
- Possessives do not change, it is still tu casa
Try it
You just landed in Buenos Aires. Which sounds most natural in a casual chat?
Which is correct with vos for possessives?
Arrange the words to form a correct sentence:
Common myths, cleared up
- Vos is not slang. In many countries it is the standard informal form
- Vos is not more or less polite than tú. Politeness comes from context, tone, and whether you switch to usted
- If you only know tú, you will still understand vos in context. The differences are small and predictable
Tiny phrasebook
Brush up on greetings with our basic greetings and phrases.
- Greetings
- Tú: ¿Cómo estás?
- Vos: ¿Cómo estás? or ¿Cómo andás?
- Preferences
- Tú: ¿Quieres salir?
- Vos: ¿Querés salir?
- Plans
- Tú: ¿Vas mañana?
- Vos: ¿Vas mañana?
- Compliments
- Tú: Tú eres genial
- Vos: Vos sos genial
Spelling notes
The accent marks in voseo show the stress shift. In casual messages some people may skip them, but you should learn the standard spelling.
Final takeaways
- Tú and vos both mean you, informal, singular
- Vos is widespread in Latin America, especially in the Southern Cone and Central America
- The big changes are present tense and affirmative commands, plus ser → sos
- Usted is the safe formal option everywhere
Ready to lock it in the fun way? Switch your InkLingo course region to Argentina or Costa Rica and your drills will adapt automatically. Then practice in context with graded stories at your level: A1 stories or B1 stories.