The Formal "You": Usted
In Spanish, use the formal usted (you) to show respect to strangers, elders, or in professional settings like airports and hotels.
Even though usted means "you," it uses third-person singular verb forms—the same ones used for él (he) and ella (she).
| you (formal, singular) | usted |
| Sir, do you have the passport? | Señor, ¿tiene usted el pasaporte? |
| Madam, do you need the suitcase now? | Señora, ¿necesita usted la maleta ahora? |
When speaking formally, the possessive adjective for "your" is su (or sus if the item owned is plural).
| I need your passport, please. | Necesito su pasaporte, por favor. |
The Plural Formal "You": Ustedes
When addressing a group of people formally in Spain, use ustedes. Like its singular counterpart, it uses third-person plural verb forms—the same ones used for ellos and ellas.
| Pronoun | Verb Form | Example (tener) |
|---|---|---|
| usted | 3rd-person singular | (usted) tiene |
| ustedes | 3rd-person plural | (ustedes) tienen |
| you (formal, plural) | ustedes |
| Do you have the reservation for the hotel? | ¿Tienen ustedes la reserva para el hotel? |
| You need the passports to travel. | Ustedes necesitan los pasaportes para viajar. |
Expressing Likes
With verbs like gustar (to like), the person who likes something is an indirect object. Use le for usted and les for ustedes. You will often see a usted or a ustedes added at the start of the sentence for politeness and clarity.
| Do you like the bedroom? | ¿A usted le gusta el dormitorio? |
| Do you like to travel to Spain? | ¿A ustedes les gusta viajar a España? |
