Breakdown of Ellos son estudiantes, pero ustedes son médicos.
ser
to be
el estudiante
the student
ellos
they (m)
pero
but
el médico
the doctor
ustedes
you (formal, plural)
Questions & Answers about Ellos son estudiantes, pero ustedes son médicos.
Why do we use son for both ellos (they) and ustedes (you)?
Even though ustedes means "you" (plural), it always takes the same verb conjugations as "they" (ellos or ellas). Because of this rule, son translates to both "they are" and "you are" depending on the pronoun used before it.
In Spain, who exactly are we talking to when we say ustedes?
Why isn't there a word for "some" before estudiantes or médicos?
If the group of doctors were all women, would the sentence change?
Yes! Médicos is the masculine plural form, which is used for a group of men or a mixed-gender group. If you were speaking to a group consisting entirely of female doctors, you would say ustedes son médicas.
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