Why did we use ustedes instead of usted ?

Omer .A2Kwiziq community member

Why did we use ustedes instead of usted ?

¡________ vamos a regalar un coche!We are buying you a car!(HINT: Choose the right word for "you" ("ustedes"))

Why did we use ustedes instead of usted ?
Asked 2 years ago
LauraNative Spanish expert teacher in Kwiziq

Hola Omer,

Since the answer is nosotros vamos... (we are going to...), the "you" in the question has to be plural: ustedes. If you ask the question with usted, the answer would have to be yo voy...

Omer .A2Kwiziq community member

I still didnt understand, i just wanted to understand why the answer is "les" instead of "le" ? Because the word "you" is not plural formal in this example.

InmaNative Spanish expert teacher in Kwiziq

Hola Omer

That "les" is referring to a plural "you" (ustedes, not usted), so:

Nosotros les vamos a regalar  un coche.

We are going to give you (plural) a car. 

If it was only one person receiving that car, then we should say:

Nosotros le vamos a regalar  un coche. 

We are going to give you (singular -formal) a car. 

I hope this clarified it.

Saludos

Inma

D. A.A2Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

Omer that is such a good question!

Why did we use ustedes instead of usted ?

¡________ vamos a regalar un coche!We are buying you a car!(HINT: Choose the right word for "you" ("ustedes"))

Why did we use ustedes instead of usted ?

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