42. The important and more common
forms of subject pronouns are the following:
| Singular |
Plural |
| yo, I |
|
nosotros, m.
nosotras, f. |
} we |
| tú, you |
|
vosotros, m.
vosotras, f. |
} you |
él, he
ella,
she |
|
ellos, m.
ellas, f. |
} they |
| usted, you |
|
ustedes, you |
|
The subject pronouns are ordinarily omitted in Spanish (see 16),
but they may be used for emphasis. In the third person they may
be used for learness, since the third person may have three meanings:
habla
= |
{ |
él habla, |
he speaks. |
| ella habla, |
she speaks. |
| usted habla, |
you speak. |
Usted, however is used for politeness, even
when emphasis and clearness are not demanded. Usted and Ustedes
are ordinarily abbreviated V., VV., or Vd.,
Vds.
43. Use of Usted and
tú. The ordinary,
formal, second person pronoun of address is usted, pural
ustedes, which takes the third person of the verb
(since it is derived from vuestra merced = 'your
grace'). This is the form which must be used in addressing strangers,
persons not well known, and old people. The pronoun tú,
plural vosotors, -as, which corresponds, grammartically,
to the English, 'thou,' 'ye,' is used only among intimate friends
and relatives, or on speaking to children and servants or inferiors.
44. Direct Object with a. The
preposition a is used also, in Spanish, as a sign
of the direct object, when the direct object of the verb is a noun
indicating a definite person, or persons or a thing personified:
| Él ama a los niños. |
He loves the children. |
| Ella ve a su padre. |
She sees her father. |
| Busco a mi criado |
I am looking for my servant. |
| Él no teme a la muerte. |
He does not fear death (perfsonified). |
| But: Busco un criado. |
I am looking for servant (indefinite). |
a. Querer means 'to wish' or 'desire,'
while querer a may also mean 'to love'.
| Yo quiero comer. |
I wish to eat. |
| Ella quiere a Carlos |
She wants or loves Charles. |
b. Tener (see below) means 'to have,'
'to possess,'
while tener a may also mean 'to hold temporarily.'
| Tienen al caballo. |
They are holding the horse
|
45. The Irregular Verb tener,
'to have,' 'to possess.'
| PRESENT INDICATIVE |
| |
Singular |
|
| 1 |
you tengo |
I have |
| 2 |
tú tienes |
you have |
| 3. { |
él tiene
ella tiene
usted tiene |
he has
she has
you have |
| |
|
|
| |
Plural |
|
| 1 |
nosotros (-as) tenemos |
we have |
| 2 |
vosotros (-as) tenéis |
you have |
| 3 { |
ellos, ellas tienen
ustedes tienen |
they have
you have. |
|
