nos

/nohs/

A person handing a gift box to a group of two people, representing the action being done 'to us'.

Here, 'nos' shows that the action (giving a gift) is happening *to us*.

nos (Pronoun)

us?When an action is done to 'we'

📝 In Action

Ella nos llama todos los días.

She calls us every day.

El profesor nos dio la tarea.

The teacher gave us the homework.

¿Nos puedes ayudar, por favor?

Can you help us, please?

Related Words

Common Collocations

nos gusta – we like
dinos – tell us
nos encanta – we love

💡 Grammar Points

Where Does 'Nos' Go?

'Nos' usually comes right before the verb. For example, 'Ella nos ve' (She sees us), not 'Ella ve nos'.

Two Verbs? Two Choices!

When you have two verbs together, like 'querer + another verb', you can put 'nos' before the first verb OR attach it to the end of the second one. 'Nos quiere ver' or 'Quiere vernos' both mean 'He wants to see us'.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Forgetting 'a nosotros'

Mistake: "Using just 'nos' when you want to emphasize 'us'."

Correction: To add emphasis or clarity, you can add 'a nosotros'. For example, 'A nosotros, nos gusta el chocolate.' (WE like chocolate.)

⭐ Usage Tips

Using 'nos' with 'gusta'

To say 'we like' something, you use 'nos gusta'. Think of it as 'it is pleasing to us'. For example, 'Nos gusta la música' means 'We like music'.

A group of two people looking at their own reflections in a large mirror, representing an action done 'to ourselves'.

Here, 'nos' shows that 'we' are doing the action *to ourselves*, like seeing ourselves in a mirror.

nos (Pronoun)

ourselves?When 'we' do an action to 'we'

Also:each other?When 'we' do an action to one another

📝 In Action

Nos levantamos a las siete.

We get up at seven.

Nos lavamos las manos antes de comer.

We wash our hands before eating.

Nos conocemos desde la escuela.

We've known each other since school.

Related Words

Common Collocations

nos levantamos – we get up
nos vestimos – we get dressed
nos vemos – see you / we'll see each other

💡 Grammar Points

Action Bouncing Back

Think of 'nos' in this case as a signal that the action of the verb is bouncing back to 'we'. In 'nos lavamos', the action of washing comes back to 'us'.

Meaning 'Each Other'

Sometimes, 'nos' can mean that the action happens between the people in the 'we' group. 'Nos ayudamos' means 'We help each other'.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Mixing up 'nos' and 'nuestro'

Mistake: "'Nos lavamos el pelo.'"

Correction: This is correct! Unlike English ('we wash our hair'), Spanish uses 'nos' to show it's happening to us, and 'el/la' for the body part. Avoid saying 'lavamos nuestro pelo'.

⭐ Usage Tips

The 'Us' in 'Let's'

When you see 'nos' attached to the end of a verb in its 'nosotros' form, it often means 'Let's'. For example, '¡Vámonos!' means 'Let's go!' and 'Sentémonos' means 'Let's sit down'.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: nos

Question 1 of 3

Which sentence correctly uses 'nos' to mean 'to us'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

nosotros(we) - pronoun

nuestro(our) - adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between 'nos' and 'nosotros'?

Think of it like this: 'nosotros' is the star of the show ('Nosotros hablamos' - 'We speak'). 'Nos' is the supporting actor that receives the action ('Él nos habla' - 'He speaks to us') or shows the action bounces back to the star ('Nos hablamos' - 'We speak to ourselves/each other').

Why do you say 'nos lavamos las manos' and not 'nos lavamos nuestras manos'?

It's a key difference from English! In Spanish, the 'nos' in 'nos lavamos' already makes it clear whose hands you're washing (our own). So, you just use 'las manos' (the hands) instead of 'nuestras manos' (our hands). It sounds more natural in Spanish.

Can 'nos vemos' mean both 'we see ourselves' and 'we see each other'?

Yes, it can mean both, but 99% of the time it means 'we see each other'. It's also the most common way to say 'See you later!' to someone.