Learn Spanish (Latin America): Señora, usted lee un libro en español.

Señora, usted lee un libro en español.

Ma'am, you read a book in Spanish.

Breakdown of Señora, usted lee un libro en español.

Questions & Answers about Señora, usted lee un libro en español.

Why does this sentence use usted instead of tú?

Because the speaker is addressing a Señora (Ma'am). In Spanish, we use usted (the formal 'you') to show respect to adults we do not know well, elders, or people in professional settings. tú is the informal 'you' used for friends, family, and children.

Why is the verb lee instead of lees? Doesn't 'you read' usually end in an 's'?

If you were using the informal tú, you would indeed say tú lees. However, the formal usted shares the exact same verb endings as 'he' (él) and 'she' (ella). Since 'he reads' is él lee, 'you (formal) read' is usted lee.

Could we drop the word usted and just say 'Señora, lee un libro en español'?

Yes! In Spanish, you can often drop the subject pronoun. Because you are talking directly to a Señora, it is already clear that lee refers to her. However, keeping usted in the sentence is very common when you want to sound extra polite.

Why isn't the word español capitalized?

In English, we always capitalize the names of languages. In Spanish, languages like español and inglés are written with lowercase letters unless they happen to be the very first word of a sentence.