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Tú hablas español.

Tú hablas español.
You speak Spanish.
From Lesson 5:Formal and informal you (tú vs. usted)·Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about Tú hablas español.

Why does this sentence use tú instead of usted?
Tú is the informal word for 'you.' You would use this sentence with a friend, a family member, a child, or someone your own age. If you were speaking to someone older, a boss, or a stranger where you want to show respect, you would use the formal 'you,' which is usted.
How does the verb hablas change if I want to be formal and use usted?
In Spanish, verb endings change depending on who is doing the action. Because this sentence uses the informal tú, the verb hablar (to speak) takes an 's' at the end to become hablas. If you wanted to be formal, you would drop that 's', making the sentence Usted habla español.
Why does Tú have an accent mark?
The accent mark helps tell the difference between two words that are spelled the same but have different meanings. Tú (with the accent) means the pronoun 'you'. If you leave the accent off, tu means 'your', as in tu casa (your house).
Why isn't the word español capitalized here?
In English, we always capitalize languages and nationalities. In Spanish, however, languages are written with lowercase letters unless they are the very first word in a sentence.
Do I always have to include the word Tú in sentences like this?
No, you don't! Because the verb hablas has that specific 's' ending, it already clearly points to tú. Native speakers will often just say Hablas español and skip the pronoun entirely.

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