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possiblykate
In Spanish, when is it appropriate to use 'usted' and 'ustedes'? Is it outdated?
Jul 30, 2017 8:47 PM
Answers · 4
2
Lamentablemente, en España y entre la gente joven se está perdiendo el trato de usted. Nos estamos acostumbrando pero la mayoría seguimos pensando que es una falta de respeto tutear sin distinción.
En la respuesta precedente tiene / tienes varios ejemplos de uso del usted.
July 31, 2017
1
It is not outdated, but whenever the subject (Ud. or Uds.) is clear (based on the verb conjugation or context), it is not necessary to keep writing or saying them, unlike English, French, or German, e.g.,
I am a man. / Je suis un homme. / Ich bin ein Mann. --> The subject (I / je / ich) cannot be omitted in general; however,
Soy un hombre. --> The subject (yo) can be omitted, since the verb conjugation clearly reflects who is the subject.
===
Deseo que tengas un buen día./I wish you a good day.
July 30, 2017
Hi Kate,
The use of Usted (singular) and Ustedes (plural) depend on several things:
- We use usted/ustedes when you don´t know the other person very well
- If the other person is much older
- When you talk to your boss or to a person with a higher rank at your work
- To show respect
But anyway, usted/ustedes are affected by regionalism. In some countries in Latin America people tend to be more formal. In my country we tend to use VOS (meaning tú) instead of USTED and it´s not seen as something disrepectful. There´s no rule for this, it depends on the region and the trust you have with the other person.
Good luck, I hope you find this helpful.
Regards from Argentina.
August 2, 2017
You should use "usted" and "ustedes" to speak with:
-Persons of a different work than yours, when you treat them in the professional field (For example, if you go to a public administration to have some forms solved, you should name to each civil servant like you).
-People show respect for being quite older than you.
-People who have a higher rank than yours at work.
-People who do not work in the same place as you but have an important professional rank.
July 30, 2017
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possiblykate
Language Skills
English, Spanish
Learning Language
Spanish
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