Voseo in Spanish

Overview

This lecture introduces the concept of "voseo" in Spanish, explaining its grammatical features, usage in various countries, and how it differs from other pronoun systems.

Introduction to Voseo

• Voseo refers to the use of the pronoun "vos" and its corresponding verb forms for the second-person singular.
• "Vos" replaces "tú" in some Latin American countries to mean "you" (singular, informal).

Pronouns Review

• Pronouns replace nouns in sentences (e.g., "she" for "Sandra", "him" for "Martin").
• Types include subject pronouns (she), object pronouns (him), and object of preposition pronouns (them).

Voseo Conjugation

• "Vos" is a subject pronoun with similar function to "tú".
• In Spain and Mexico, "tú tienes" means "you have", but in Buenos Aires, "vos tenés" is used.
• To form vos verb endings, start with "vosotros" endings and remove the "i" when there is a diphthong: "habláis" → "hablás", "queréis" → "querés".
• "Vos" is singular; "vosotros" is plural and only used in Spain.
• Another way to conjugate is to remove the "r" from the infinitive and add "s": "hablar" → "hablás".

Exceptions and Irregularities

• Main exceptions are "sos" (from ser) and "vas" (from ir).
• Other tenses (present subjunctive, past, future, conditional) use the same forms for "tú" and "vos".
• Vos commands are regular: "hablá", "comé", "tené", "decí"; unlike "tú" commands, which can be irregular.

Syntactic Functions and Forms

• As object and indirect object pronoun, "te" is used for both "tú" and "vos".
• For objects of prepositions, use "vos" (e.g., "para vos") instead of "ti".
• Possessive forms are the same for "vos" and "tú" ("tu", "tuyo").

Usage Across Countries and Social Factors

• Vos is the primary informal "you" in Argentina, Paraguay, and most of Uruguay.
• In some countries, both "vos" and "tú" are used, depending on region or context.
• Vos can be considered less formal or incorrect in certain contexts and not used in writing in some countries.
• Usage depends on social factors like age, class, and sometimes gender.

Practice Example

• Advertisement from Buenos Aires shows voseo in practice: "Te likeás", "a vos mismo", "hacés", possessives like "tu celular", and command "pedí".

Key Terms & Definitions

• Voseo — The use of "vos" and specific verb forms for the informal second-person singular.
• Diphthong — A sound formed by combining two vowels in a single syllable.
• Infinitive — The base form of a verb (e.g., "hablar" means "to speak").
• Imperative — Command form of a verb.
• Subject Pronoun — A pronoun that acts as the subject of a verb.
• Object Pronoun — A pronoun receiving the action of the verb.
• Object of Preposition — A pronoun that follows a preposition.

Action Items / Next Steps

• Practice forming and using vos conjugations in present and command forms.
• Notice voseo use in media from Argentina, Uruguay, or Paraguay.
• Be mindful of social and regional context before using "vos" in conversation.