Chapter 4: Pronouns - Introducing Yourself

Argentine Spanish Learning Series

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Introduction

¡Bienvenidos al mundo de los pronombres! Now that we've laid the foundations of Spanish, it's time to introduce ourselves! In this chapter, we'll explore in depth one of the most characteristic features of Argentine Spanish: the "vos" pronoun. At the same time, you'll learn all the expressions you need to comfortably introduce yourself on the streets of Buenos Aires.

This isn't just grammar - it's a journey to the heart of Argentine culture. The use of "vos" isn't just a pronoun change, it's also part of the identity of Argentines. You'll understand those moments when Che Guevara said "vos," the intimate addresses in tango songs, and those warm "¿vos de dónde sos?" questions you'll hear every day in Buenos Aires.

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4.1. Personal Pronouns: Yo, Vos, Él/Ella

Spanish Personal Pronouns Overview

Personal pronouns in Spanish indicate who is speaking, who is being addressed, or who is being talked about in a sentence. The pronouns used in Argentine Spanish are:

Pronouns NOT Used in Argentina

IMPORTANT: In Argentine Spanish, these pronouns are NEVER USED:

• tú → Never used, replaced by vos
• vosotros/vosotras → Never used, replaced by ustedes

Yo (I) - Basic Usage

"Yo" as a pronoun is usually omitted because the verb conjugation already indicates the person:

Explicit Usage:

• Yo soy de Buenos Aires (I am from Buenos Aires)
• Yo me llamo María (My name is María)

Normal Usage (pronoun omitted):

• Soy de Buenos Aires (I'm from Buenos Aires)
• Me llamo María (My name is María)

When to Use "Yo":

1. For emphasis:

   • "Yo soy médico, él es abogado" (I am a doctor, he is a lawyer)

2. When contrasting:

   • "Vos sos de Córdoba, yo soy de Buenos Aires"

3. For clarity:

   • "Yo creo que está mal" (I think it's wrong)

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4.2. Vos vs Tú Usage (Argentine Characteristic)

What is Vos?

"Vos" is the most distinctive feature of Argentine Spanish. This pronoun:

• Is used to mean informal "you"
• Is singular only
• Replaces tú
• Requires special verb conjugations

Worldwide Vos Usage

Countries Using Vos:

• Argentina → 100% usage
• Uruguay → 100% usage
• Paraguay → Widespread usage
• Costa Rica → Widespread usage
• Honduras, Nicaragua → Regional usage
• Guatemala, El Salvador → Partial usage

History of Vos

Vos actually comes from Old Spanish:

• 16th century: Used among aristocracy in Spain
• 17th century: Abandoned in Spain, but continued in America
• 19th century: Became fully established in Argentina
• 20th century: Became part of Argentine identity

Verb Conjugation Rules with Vos

Present Tense Conjugation:

-AR Verbs (hablar example)

• Tú hablas → Vos hablás
• Rule: Remove -ar ending, add -ás, stress on final syllable

-ER Verbs (comer example)

• Tú comes → Vos comés
• Rule: Remove -er ending, add -és, stress on final syllable

-IR Verbs (vivir example)

• Tú vives → Vos vivís
• Rule: Remove -ir ending, add -ís, stress on final syllable

Vos Conjugation Examples

Vos's Big Advantage: No Irregular Verbs!

In Standard Spanish many verbs are irregular:

• tener → tú tienes (stem change: e→ie)
• poder → tú puedes (stem change: o→ue)
• venir → tú vienes (stem change: e→ie)

With vos all verbs are regular:

• tener → vos tenés (NO stem change)
• poder → vos podés (NO stem change)
• venir → vos venís (NO stem change)

Only Exception: SER Verb

SER verb is completely different with Vos:

• Tú eres → Vos sos

Examples:

• "¿Vos de dónde sos?" (Where are you from?)
• "Sos muy simpático" (You're very nice)
• "Sos mi mejor amigo" (You're my best friend)

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4.3. Introducing Yourself: "Soy...", "Me llamo..."

Basic Introduction Phrases

There are several basic ways to introduce yourself in Argentina:

1. Me llamo... (My name is...)

Structure: Me llamo + [name]

Examples:

• "Me llamo Juan" (My name is Juan)
• "Me llamo María Elena" (My name is María Elena)
• "Me llamo Sebastián Rodriguez" (My name is Sebastián Rodriguez)

Pronunciation Note:

• Me llamo → "Me shamo" (LL → sh sound)

2. Mi nombre es... (My name is...)

Structure: Mi nombre es + [name]

Examples:

• "Mi nombre es Carolina" (My name is Carolina)
• "Mi nombre es Diego, pero me dicen Dieguito" (My name is Diego, but they call me Dieguito)

When to Use:

• More formal situations
• When you want to emphasize your full name
• To avoid confusion

3. Soy... (I am...)

Structure: Soy + [name/adjective/profession]

With names:

• "Soy Pablo" (I'm Pablo)
• "Soy la hermana de Marta" (I'm Marta's sister)

With profession/adjectives:

• "Soy estudiante" (I'm a student)
• "Soy médico" (I'm a doctor)
• "Soy argentino" (I'm Argentine)

Responding and Asking Questions

Questions Used When Meeting

¿Cómo te llamás? (What's your name?)

• Answer: "Me llamo..." / "Soy..."

¿Cuál es tu nombre? (What is your name?)

• Answer: "Mi nombre es..." / "Me llamo..."

¿Vos quién sos? (Who are you?)

• Answer: "Soy..." / "Me llamo..."

Mutual Introduction Dialogue

A: ¡Hola! Me llamo Ana. ¿Y vos? B: Hola Ana, yo soy Carlos. Mucho gusto. A: Igualmente, Carlos.

English: A: Hello! My name is Ana. And you? B: Hello Ana, I'm Carlos. Nice to meet you. A: Likewise, Carlos.

Argentine-Specific Introduction Words

"Che" - Argentina's Symbol

"Che" is frequently used in Argentine introductions:

To get attention:

• "Che, ¿cómo te llamás?" (Hey, what's your name?)
• "Che, vení acá" (Hey, come here)

Friendly address:

• "Che Pablo, ¿cómo andás?" (Hey Pablo, how are you?)

Courtesy Expressions

Mucho gusto → Nice to meet you Encantado/a → Pleased to meet you Igualmente → Likewise Un placer → A pleasure

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4.4. Stating Your Age: "Tengo... años"

Basic Age Expressions

In Spanish, the TENER verb is used to state age, not SER:

Structure: Tengo + [number] + años

Age Statement Examples

Your own age:

• "Tengo veinticinco años" (I'm 25 years old)
• "Tengo treinta y dos años" (I'm 32 years old)
• "Tengo cuarenta y ocho años" (I'm 48 years old)

Others' ages:

• "Él tiene veinte años" (He is 20 years old)
• "Ella tiene cincuenta años" (She is 50 years old)
• "Mi hermano tiene diecisiete años" (My brother is 17 years old)

Numbers (1-100)

Basic Numbers (1-30)

Tens

Compound Numbers (31-99)

Rule: [tens] + y + [units]

Examples:

• 31 → treinta y uno
• 45 → cuarenta y cinco
• 67 → sesenta y siete
• 89 → ochenta y nueve
• 93 → noventa y tres

Questions About Age

¿Cuántos años tenés? (How old are you?) ¿Qué edad tenés? (What's your age?) ¿Cuántos años tiene? (How old is he/she?) - for third person

Age Range Expressions

Young ages:

• "Tengo dieciocho años" (I'm 18) - Just legal age
• "Tengo veintipocos años" (I'm in my twenties)

Middle ages:

• "Tengo treinta y pico" (I'm in my thirties)
• "Ando por los cuarenta" (I'm around forty)

Older ages:

• "Tengo más de cincuenta" (I'm over fifty)
• "Paso los sesenta" (I'm past sixty)

Age Culture in Argentina

Etiquette of Asking Age

Asking women about their age can sometimes be considered impolite:

• Appropriate: "¿Sos joven?" (Are you young?)
• More diplomatic: "¿En qué década naciste?" (What decade were you born in?)

Age Group Slang

Pibe/Piba → Young person (15-25 years) Chabón/Chabona → Young adult (20-35 years) Tipo/Tipa → Adult (35+ years)

Examples:

• "Ese pibe tiene veinte años" (That young guy is 20 years old)
• "La chabona esa debe tener treinta" (That young woman must be 30)

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4.5. Saying Where You're From: "Soy de..."

Basic Structures

There are two basic ways to say where you're from:

1. Soy de + [Place]

With cities:

• "Soy de Buenos Aires" (I'm from Buenos Aires)
• "Soy de Córdoba" (I'm from Córdoba)
• "Soy de Rosario" (I'm from Rosario)

With countries:

• "Soy de Argentina" (I'm from Argentina)
• "Soy de Brasil" (I'm from Brazil)
• "Soy de Estados Unidos" (I'm from the United States)

2. Soy + [Nationality]

Nationality adjectives:

• "Soy argentino/a" (I'm Argentine)
• "Soy brasileño/a" (I'm Brazilian)
• "Soy estadounidense" (I'm American)

Argentine Cities and Regions

Major Cities

Regional Identities

Porteño/a → Buenos Aires city center resident

• "Soy porteña, nací en Palermo" (I'm porteña, I was born in Palermo)

Bonaerense → Buenos Aires province resident

• "Soy bonaerense, pero no porteño" (I'm from Buenos Aires province, but not porteño)

Del interior → From outside Buenos Aires

• "Soy del interior, de Mendoza" (I'm from the interior, from Mendoza)

Common Countries and Nationalities

South America

Comprehensive Introduction Dialogue

María: ¡Hola! ¿Cómo andás? Me llamo María.

Carlos: ¡Hola María! Muy bien, gracias. Soy Carlos. ¿Vos de dónde sos?

María: Soy de Rosario, pero vivo acá en Buenos Aires hace tres años. Tengo veintiséis años. ¿Y vos?

Carlos: Yo soy porteño, nací y me crié acá en Palermo. Tengo treinta y dos años. ¿A qué te dedicás?

María: Soy profesora de inglés. ¿Y vos qué hacés?

Carlos: Trabajo en sistemas, soy programador. ¡Qué bueno conocerte!

María: Igualmente, Carlos. Un placer.

Other Important Countries

Detailed Location Description

More Specific Information

Neighborhood/District:

• "Soy de Palermo" (I'm from Palermo)
• "Vivo en San Telmo" (I live in San Telmo)
• "Soy del barrio de Belgrano" (I'm from the Belgrano neighborhood)

Region:

• "Soy de la zona norte" (I'm from the north zone)
• "Soy del sur del Gran Buenos Aires" (I'm from south of Greater Buenos Aires)

Broader description:

• "Soy de la provincia de Buenos Aires" (I'm from Buenos Aires province)
• "Soy de la región pampeana" (I'm from the Pampas region)

Asking Questions

Finding Out Where Someone's From

¿De dónde sos? (Where are you from?) ¿De qué parte de Argentina sos? (What part of Argentina are you from?) ¿Sos de acá? (Are you from here?) ¿Sos del interior? (Are you from the interior?)

Response Variations

Short answer:

• "De Buenos Aires" (From Buenos Aires)
• "De acá nomás" (From around here)

Detailed answer:

• "Soy de Rosario, pero vivo en Buenos Aires hace cinco años" (I'm from Rosario, but I've been living in Buenos Aires for five years)

Immigrant Origins

Argentina is a very multicultural country, so talking about origins is common:

Family Roots

Italian origin:

• "Soy de origen italiano" (I'm of Italian origin)
• "Mis abuelos vinieron de Italia" (My grandparents came from Italy)

Spanish origin:

• "Tengo raíces españolas" (I have Spanish roots)
• "Mi familia es de Galicia" (My family is from Galicia)

Mixed origins:

• "Soy una mezcla: italiano y español" (I'm a mix: Italian and Spanish)
• "Tengo un poco de todo" (I have a bit of everything)

Cultural Notes

Regional Pride

Porteños (Buenos Aires residents):

• Very attached to their urban identity
• "Soy porteño de cuarta generación" (I'm a fourth-generation porteño)

Interior residents:

• Very attached to their cities
• "Cordobés y orgulloso" (Cordobés and proud of it)

Rivalries

Buenos Aires vs Interior:

• Friendly competition exists
• "Los porteños se creen que Buenos Aires es Argentina" (Porteños think Buenos Aires is Argentina)

Football cities:

• Each city has its own teams
• Where you're from also determines which team you support

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Comprehensive Introduction Dialogue

Complete Introduction Example

María: ¡Hola! ¿Cómo andás? Me llamo María.

Carlos: ¡Hola María! Muy bien, gracias. Soy Carlos. ¿Vos de dónde sos?

María: Soy de Rosario, pero vivo acá en Buenos Aires hace tres años. Tengo veintiséis años. ¿Y vos?

Carlos: Yo soy porteño, nací y me crié acá en Palermo. Tengo treinta y dos años. ¿A qué te dedicás?

María: Soy profesora de inglés. ¿Y vos qué hacés?

Carlos: Trabajo en sistemas, soy programador. ¡Qué bueno conocerte!

María: Igualmente, Carlos. Un placer.

English Translation

María: Hello! How are you? My name is María.

Carlos: Hello María! Very well, thanks. I'm Carlos. Where are you from?

María: I'm from Rosario, but I've been living here in Buenos Aires for three years. I'm 26 years old. And you?

Carlos: I'm porteño, I was born and raised here in Palermo. I'm 32 years old. What do you do for work?

María: I'm an English teacher. What do you do?

Carlos: I work in systems, I'm a programmer. Great to meet you!

María: Likewise, Carlos. A pleasure.

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Self-Introduction Sample Text

Your Own Introduction

You can prepare your own introduction using these examples:

Example 1 (Simple): "¡Hola! Me llamo [your name]. Tengo [age] años y soy de [place]. Mucho gusto."

Example 2 (Detailed): "¡Hola! Mi nombre es [your name], pero me dicen [nickname]. Soy [nationality/city] y tengo [age] años. Vivo en [city] hace [time]. Un placer conocerte."

Example 3 (Argentine style): "¡Che! ¿Cómo andás? Soy [your name], tengo [age] años y soy de [place]. ¿Y vos de dónde sos?"

Key Points to Remember

1. Use vos → not tú
2. Add "che" → for Argentine style
3. Say where you're from → Important cultural information
4. Don't hesitate to say your age → Normal in Argentina
5. Ask back → Don't forget to say "¿Y vos?"

Now you can comfortably introduce yourself anywhere in Argentina! From the streets of Buenos Aires to the vineyards of Mendoza, from the universities of Córdoba to the cafés of Rosario... Everywhere, those beautiful introductions that start with "¡Che, soy..." are waiting for you. ¡Dale, que te va a ir bárbaro! (Go for it, you'll do great!)