In Spanish, pronouns are classified into different grammatical categories according to their function in the sentence, their reference, and other features such as person, number, gender, or case. Below is a list of the main types of pronouns:

​​

1. Personal pronouns

They refer to the people involved in the conversation. They are divided according to their function.

​

A. Subject Pronouns 

​

In Spanish grammar, subject pronouns are used to indicate who is performing the action of the verb. These include forms like:

​

• yo, tú, vos, usted, él, ella, ello, nosotros, nosotras, vosotros, vosotras, ustedes, ellos, ellas.

​​​

• Yo hablo español. → I speak Spanish.

• Ella canta muy bien. → She sings very well.

• Nosotros vamos al cine. → We are going to the movies.

• Vos estudiás mucho. → You study a lot.

​​​

They usually appear at the beginning of the sentence and often can be omitted in Spanish, either because:

​​

• The verb ending already indicates the subject (e.g., «hablo» clearly means “I speak”), or

• The subject was previously mentioned or is clearly understood from context.

​​​​

— «María estudia mucho. (Ella) quiere ser médica».

→ In English you must say “She wants to be a doctor,” but in Spanish you can omit “ella” because the subject is already known.

​​

​⚠️ In Spanish, the subject pronoun is often optional, especially in informal speech, because verb conjugations already show the subject. In English, subject pronouns are mandatory: you cannot say “Is speaking” — you must say “She is speaking”.​​​

​

​

​

​

B. Unstressed ​​​​​​Objet Pronouns

In Spanish grammar, pronombres átonos are unstressed object pronouns (also known as clitic pronouns) that attach directly to the verb and cannot stand alone. These include forms like me, te, lo, la, le, nos, os, los, las, les, se.

​​

They always appear in close connection with the verb, either before it (in infinite forms) or attached to the end (in infinitives, gerunds, and affirmative commands):

​​

​Example:

• Me vio. → She saw me.

• Te lo dije. → I told you it.

• Voy a decírselo. → I’m going to tell it to him/her.

​​​

While English has object pronouns such as me, you, him, her, us, them, these do not behave exactly like Spanish clitics. In English, object pronouns can stand alone and can be stressed for emphasis (“He saw me!”), which is not the case for Spanish pronombres átonos.

​​

Therefore, although English object pronouns serve a similar syntactic function, they are not classified as clitics in the same grammatical sense as in Spanish.

​​​

​​​

​​​​​​​​​​​​​

​​

C. Stressed pronouns (used with prepositions)

​​​

In Spanish grammar, stressed pronouns are personal pronouns that appear after a preposition, such as para, de, con, sin, entre, sobre, etc.

These pronouns carry natural stress, can stand alone, and are used to emphasize or clarify the object of the preposition.These pronouns include:

mí, vos, ti, él, ella, ello, nosotros , nosotras, vosotros,  vosotras, ustedes, ellos, ellas y sí.

​​​

Example:

«Para mí es importante» → “It’s important to me.” (“mí” is a stressed pronoun used after a preposition.)

​​

⚠️ «Usted» and «ustedes» are personal pronouns in the third person but are used as polite forms to address the listener with respect.

​​​

⚠️ “Ello” is a neutral pronoun used in formal or literary Spanish. It refers to abstract ideas, events, or full clauses. Example: «Todo depende de ello» = “Everything depends on that.” It is rarely used in everyday spoken Spanish.

​​​

​​​​

​​​​​​​​​​​​

​​​

​​2. Reflexive pronouns

​​​​

In Spanish, reflexive pronouns are used when the subject and the object of the action are the same person — in other words, when someone does something to themselves.

​​​

They are placed before the verb in most tenses, or attached to the end of infinitives and affirmative commands.

​​​

These pronouns include:

me, te, se, nos, os, se.

​​​

Example:

«Ella se peina». → “She combs herself.”

​​​​

​​​​

​​​​

​​​​​​​​​​​​​

3. Reciprocal pronouns

​​

In Spanish, reciprocal pronouns are used when two or more people do something to each other — that is, the action is mutual and shared.

​​

They look just like reflexive pronouns (nos, os, se), but the meaning is different because the action goes in both directions.

​​

These pronouns include:

nos, os, se (used reciprocally).

​​

Example:

«Ellos se abrazaron.» → “They hugged each other.”

(= both people did the action to the other.)

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

​​

​​

​

4. Possessive pronouns

​

In Spanish, possessive pronouns indicate ownership or possession.

They can function as adjectives (used before a noun) or as stand-alone pronouns (replacing the noun).

​

A. Stressed (with article or alone)

​​

These pronouns are used with a definite article (el, la, los, las) or on their own, without a noun. They agree in gender and number with the object possessed, not the possessor.

​

These pronouns include:

mío, mía, míos, mías

tuyo, tuya, tuyos, tuyas

suyo, suya, suyos, suyas

nuestro, nuestra, nuestros, nuestras

vuestro, vuestra, vuestros, vuestras

​

Example:

«Ese cuaderno es mío» → “That notebook is mine.”​

 

​

​​

​

B. Unstressed (possessive adjectives)

​

​​These are adjectives in Spanish, not pronouns.

They are listed in the adjectives section of this site.

​​​​​​​​​​​

​

​

​

​​​​​​

​​​5. Interrogative and exclamatory pronouns

​​​​​​

In Spanish, these pronouns are used to ask questions (direct or indirect) or to express exclamations.

They always carry a written accent (tilde) and usually appear at the beginning of the sentence or clause.

​​

They are used to replace the noun being asked about or emphasized.

​​

These pronouns include:

qué, cuál, cuáles, cuánto/a/os/as, quién, quiénes

​​

Examples:

​

• ¿Quién vino? → “Who came?”

• ¡Cuánto ha llovido! → “How much it has rained!”

​

​​

💡 These forms change according to gender and number when applicable (e.g., cuánto vs. cuánta, cuáles vs. cuál).

​​​

​​​

​​​​​​

​​​

6. Demonstrative pronouns (used pronominally)

​​

In Spanish, demonstrative pronouns are used to point out or replace a specific noun based on how close or far it is from the speaker.

They agree in gender and number with the noun they replace, and are used without the noun (unlike demonstrative adjectives, which go before the noun).

​

The three levels of distance are:

​

• Near the speaker: este, esta, estos, estas

• Near the listener: ese, esa, esos, esas

• Far from both: aquel, aquella, aquellos, aquellas

​Example:

«Este me gusta más que aquel». → “I like this one more than that one.”

​​

⚠️ The Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) no longer recommends using accent marks on demonstrative pronouns, even when they replace a noun.

So today we write: este, esa, aquellos — without tilde.

​

However, if you’re reading a book or textbook printed before 2010, you will probably see accented forms like éste, ésa, aquéllos. That was the rule at the time, and it was considered correct.

​

✅ Both are valid depending on when the material was published.

​​

​

​

​​​​

7. Relative pronouns

​​​

In Spanish, relative pronouns are used to connect two clauses and refer back to a noun mentioned previously.

They introduce a subordinate clause that provides more information about that noun.

​

Unlike in English, Spanish relative pronouns do not always require commas, and they agree in gender and number only when necessary.

​

Common forms include:

Que, el que, la que, los que, las que, quien, quienes, cuyo/a/os/as, lo que, lo cual.

​

Example:

«La mujer que vino ayer es mi profesora». → “The woman who came yesterday is my teacher.”

​​

Grammar tip:

​

• Que is the most common and general relative pronoun — it can mean that, which, or who depending on context.

• Cuyo/a/os/as expresses possession and always agrees with the thing possessed, not the owner.

  Example: «El niño cuyo libro se perdió». → “The boy whose book was lost.”

​​

​​

​​

​​​

8. Indefinite pronouns

​​

In Spanish, indefinite pronouns refer to unspecified people or things.

They are used when the identity or quantity is not exact, not known, or not important in the context.

​

Some of them are invariable, while others change depending on gender and number.

​

Common forms include:

alguien, nadie, algo, nada, uno, una, unos, unas, cualquiera, cada uno, todos, ninguno, alguno, varios, mucho, poco, demasiado, bastante, etc.

​

 Example:

«Alguien llamó a la puerta». → “Someone knocked at the door.”

​​

Grammar tip:

​

• Alguien and nadie refer only to people

• Algo and nada refer only to things

• Some of these pronouns can act as adjectives when followed by a noun:

  e.g. «Muchos estudiantes llegaron tarde». = “Many students arrived late.”

​​

​

​

​​

9. Numeral pronouns

​​​

In Spanish, numeral pronouns express an exact quantity or order and are used in place of a noun that is already understood or mentioned.

​

They can be grouped as follows:​

​

A. Cardinal Numbers

​​

Indicate a specific quantity.

→ uno, una, unos, unas, dos, tres…

→ one, two, three…

​

Example:

«Quiero dos». → I want two.

(= two coffees, two tickets — the noun is implied)

​​​

​​​Clarifying Notes: 

​​​

Don’t say: Uno gato.

Say: Un gato.

​

Don’t say: Un cien.

Say: Cien personas.

Say: Ciento cinco libros.

​

Don’t say: Veinte y cuatro.

Say: Veinticuatro.

​

Don’t say: Veinte y uno.

Say: Veintiuno.

​

Don’t say: Un mil pesos.

Say: Mil pesos.

​

Don’t say: Un millón pesos.

Say: Un millón de pesos.

Say: Dos millones de dólares.

​

Don’t say: Un billón (to mean one billion in English).

Say: Mil millones. (This is one billion in Spanish.)

​

Don’t say: Un trillón (to mean one trillion in English).

Say: Un billón. (This is one trillion in Spanish.)

​

Explanation:

Spanish uses the long scale.

​

• One million = un millón

• One billion = mil millones

• One trillion = un billón

• One quintillion = un trillón

​​

​​

​​

​​​​​​

B.Ordinal Numbers

​​​

General Notes: 

Ordinal numbers in Spanish can function as adjectives or pronouns, depending on how they are used in the sentence. To help you understand them better, both functions are explained here, but the main focus of this section is on their use as pronouns.

​

When they work as adjectives They appear before or after a noun to express order or position: primero, segundo, tercero…(First, second, third…) but they are not used in the same way as in English:

​

In English, ordinal numbers are used for dates (e.g. July 4th), but in Spanish, this is not common. Only the first day of the month uses an ordinal.

• Say: el primero de julio. 

  Don’t say: el segundo de julio

  Say instead: el dos de julio

​​

• Ordinal numbers are not commonly used after 10th in everyday speech, in most cases, speakers switch to cardinal numbers:

  Say: el piso doce (not el duodécimo piso)

  Say: el capítulo quince (not el decimoquinto capítulo)

​​

When used as pronouns ordinal numbers can replace a noun and act as a pronoun:

​

• «¿Cuál elegiste?» – «El primero».

  Which one did you choose? – The first one.

• «Yo prefiero el segundo».

  I prefer the second one.

​​

When used this way, they keep gender and number agreement:

​

• «¿Cuál ganaron ellas?» – «La tercera».

• «¿Y los premios?» – «Los primeros».

​​

Word shortening (apócope):​ When used as and adjetive before a singular masculine noun, primero and tercero drop the

final -o:

​

• El primer premio. (not el primero premio)

• El tercer capítulo. (not el tercero capítulo)

​​

But when used as pronouns, this apocope does not apply:

​

• «¿Cuál elegiste?» – «El primero».

• «¿Y ella?» – «La tercera».​​

​​

​

​

​

C.Numerical Values

​​​​​

These pronouns refer to quantities or proportions and replace a noun. They are grouped into three types: fractions, multiples, and distributives.

I. Fractional Pronouns

These pronouns refer to a part of a whole. They are often used in everyday language, especially in relation to food, money, or time.

Some fractional pronouns have irregular Latin roots (e.g. tercio, cuarto, quinto), while others are formed by adding the suffix -avo/-ava to the ordinal base (e.g. onceavo, doceavo, dieciseisavo).

All of them can function as pronouns and take plural when needed (e.g. dos tercios, tres cuartos, cinco dieciseisavos).

Examples:
– ¿Querés la mitad del pastel? – No, con un cuarto me alcanza.
– Me ofrecieron dos tercios, pero dije que no.

Common forms:
un medio = one half
un tercio = one third
un cuarto = one fourth
un quinto = one fifth
un décimo = one tenth
un onceavo = one eleventh
un doceavo = one twelfth

​​​​Notes:

• medio / media is more common than segundo for “half”.

• The forms onceavo and doceavo are correct but more common in math or technical contexts.

• These pronouns agree in gender and number.

​​

​

​

​

​

II. Multiplicative Pronouns

These pronouns indicate repetition or multiple times a quantity. They are commonly used with verbs like ser, costar, valer, ganar, multiplicar.

Examples:
– ¿Cuánto ganaste? – El doble.
– Me ofrecieron el triple.
– Este año ganaron el cuádruple.

Common forms:
el doble = twice as much
el triple = three times as much
el cuádruple = four times as much
el quíntuple = five times
el séxtuple, el décuple = sixfold, tenfold

Notes:

• These are often preceded by el and act as pronouns when replacing a noun.

• They can also be used as adjectives (e.g. premio triple), but that is not the focus here.

​​

​

​

​

​

III. Distributive Pronouns with Numerical Value

These pronouns indicate distribution or order and often contain an implicit or explicit number.

Examples:
– Entraron uno a uno.
– Pasaban de dos en dos.
– Recibieron un regalo cada uno.
– Votaron por ambas.

Common forms:
uno a uno = one by one
de dos en dos = in pairs
cada uno / cada una = each one
ambos / ambas = both
sendos / sendas = one each (rare in pronoun use, mostly used as adjective)

Notes:

• These expressions often imply or include a number.

• They work as pronouns when no noun follows.

• Sendos is rarely used as a standalone pronoun, but it is grammatically possible.

 

​

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

​​

10. Impersonal or neutral pronouns

​​​

In Spanish, these pronouns are used when the subject is unknown, general, or abstract.

They don’t refer to any specific person or thing, and are used in general statements, formal language, or abstract ex

Common forms include:

Lo, ello, se.

 

Examples:

​

• «Se dice que lloverá». → “It is said that it will rain.” / “They say it will rain.”

• «No quiero hablar de ello». → “I don’t want to talk about it.”

• «Lo importante es participar». → “What’s important is to participate.”

​

Grammar tip:

 

• Se is used in impersonal or passive constructions where no subject is specified.

• Lo refers to abstract qualities or ideas: lo bueno, lo difícil, lo increíble.

• Ello is formal and literary, and refers to whole statements or situations, not people.

  It can often be replaced by eso or aquello in everyday speech.​​​​​​​​​​​​​