de nosotros
Lemma Details
Translation: of us; our; ours
Part of Speech: prepositional phrase
Etymology: This phrase combines the preposition 'de' (from Latin 'de' meaning 'from, concerning') with the first-person plural pronoun 'nosotros' (from Latin 'nos alteros' meaning 'we others'). The combination creates a possessive construction that functions similarly to the English possessive pronoun 'our' or the phrase 'of us'.
Commonality: 80%
Guessability: 70%
Register: neutral
Mnemonics
- Think of 'de' as 'of' and 'nosotros' as 'us' to remember 'of us'
- The 'nos' in 'nosotros' sounds like the English 'us' to help remember it refers to 'us'
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Synonyms
Antonyms
Cultural Context
While 'de nosotros' is grammatically correct, Spanish speakers more commonly use the possessive adjective 'nuestro/a/os/as' to express possession. 'De nosotros' is typically used for emphasis or clarification, or in specific constructions where the possessive adjective wouldn't work as well.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'de nosotros' is a prepositional phrase meaning 'of us' or 'ours', 'nuestro' is a possessive adjective meaning 'our' that directly modifies a noun. 'Nuestro' changes form to agree with the gender and number of the noun it modifies (nuestro, nuestra, nuestros, nuestras).
Confused word:
Este es nuestro problema.
This is our problem.
Notes: 'De nosotros' is more emphatic and can stand alone as a predicate, while 'nuestro' must accompany a noun.
Mnemonic: 'De nosotros' has two words and typically comes after a noun or verb, while 'nuestro' is one word that comes before the noun it modifies.
Explanation: 'De nosotros' indicates possession or origin ('of us'), while 'para nosotros' indicates destination or benefit ('for us').
Confused word:
Este regalo es para nosotros.
This gift is for us.
Notes: Both phrases use 'nosotros' but the preposition changes the meaning significantly.
Mnemonic: Think 'de' = 'of' (possession) vs 'para' = 'for' (destination).