Question

(answers: formal, informal, informal, formal, formal, informal)
now, im going to make it a little harder and remove the subject pronouns. dont forget to look at the verb to figure out where each sentence goes.

• ¿cómo estás?
• ¿de dónde es?
• ¿cómo te llamas?
• ¿cómo está?
• ¿cómo se llama?
• ¿de dónde eres?

(answers: informal, formal, informal, formal, formal, informal)
lets make sure were comfortable with who counts as formal and who counts as informal. for each of the following people, choose whether you would use usted or tú.

• your daughter
• a store clerk
• a business client
• the king of spain
• your best friend
• your dog

(answers: tú, usted, usted, usted, tú, tú)
you should have a pretty good sense now of when to use each pronoun. when in doubt, use the formal. this will generally keep you out of sticky situations. it is important to note that each spanish - speaking country has slightly different rules about who is formal and who is informal. but the rules given in this lesson should give you a good idea of what to expect.
one final note: usted is often abbreviated as ud. dont let this confuse you if you read it - it means the same thing.

Explanation:

In Spanish, 'tú' is the informal second - person singular pronoun, used with family, friends, and pets. 'Usted' is the formal second - person singular pronoun, used with strangers, business clients, and people of high status like a king. The sentences with 'estás', 'te llamas', 'eres' are informal as they use the informal verb forms associated with 'tú', while 'es', 'está', 'se llama' are formal as they are used with 'usted'.

Answer:

• Your daughter: tú
• A store clerk: usted
• A business client: usted
• The king of Spain: usted
• Your best friend: tú
• Your dog: tú