Learn Spanish (Latin America): Señor, usted habla español.

Señor, usted habla español.

Sir, you speak Spanish.

Breakdown of Señor, usted habla español.

Mr. / sir / gentleman

usted

you (formal)

Questions & Answers about Señor, usted habla español.

Why do we use usted here instead of tú?

We use usted because the speaker addresses the person as Señor (Sir). This sets a formal and respectful tone. Usted is the formal 'you' in Spanish, used with people you do not know well, elders, or authority figures.

Why is the verb habla instead of hablas if it means 'you speak'?

In Spanish, the formal usted always uses the same verb endings as él (he) and ella (she). The informal tú uses hablas, but for usted we use the form without the 's', which is habla.

Could I just say 'Señor, habla español' without the word usted?

Yes, you can drop it! However, because habla can mean 'he speaks', 'she speaks', or 'you (formal) speak', adding usted prevents any confusion about who is acting. It also sounds very polite.

Why is español written with a lowercase 'e'?

Unlike in English, Spanish does not capitalize the names of languages or nationalities. So, 'Spanish' is written as español.