vuestro
Lemma Details
Translation: your (plural, informal); yours (plural, informal)
Part of Speech: possessive adjective
Etymology: Vuestro derives from Latin 'voster' or 'vester', meaning 'your' or 'yours' in the plural form. It evolved through Vulgar Latin into Old Spanish. It shares roots with English 'your' through the Proto-Indo-European root *wos- (you). While English lost the distinction between singular and plural 'your', Spanish maintained separate forms (tu/tuyo for singular, vuestro for plural).
Commonality: 50%
Guessability: 30%
Register: informal, regional (primarily used in Spain)
Mnemonics
- Think of 'vuestro' as 'view-estro' - imagine viewing a group of people (plural 'you') and their possessions.
- Associate 'vuestro' with 'vosotros' (you all) - they share the same 'v' sound and both refer to plural 'you'.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Synonyms
Cultural Context
Vuestro is primarily used in Spain and rarely used in Latin America, where 'de ustedes' or 'su/suyo' is preferred for the plural 'your'. In formal writing or speech in Spain, it may still be encountered. It's also used in religious contexts, historical texts, and sometimes in very formal speeches addressing a group.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: Vuestro means 'your' (plural you), while nuestro means 'our'. They have similar endings but refer to different possessors.
Confused word:
Nuestro proyecto es interesante.
Our project is interesting.
Notes: Both are possessive adjectives that change form (gender and number) to agree with the possessed noun, not the possessor.
Mnemonic: Vuestro starts with 'V' like 'various people' (plural you), while nuestro starts with 'N' like 'numerous us' (our group).
Explanation: Both can mean 'your' but 'su' is formal or third-person (his/her/their), while 'vuestro' is specifically informal plural 'your'.
This word:
Vuestro trabajo está bien hecho.
Your work is well done (addressing multiple people informally).
Confused word:
Su trabajo está bien hecho.
Your/His/Her/Their work is well done (formal or third-person).
Notes: In Latin America, 'su' is used instead of 'vuestro' for plural 'your', making 'vuestro' primarily a Spain-specific term.
Mnemonic: Vuestro is exclusively for 'you all' (informal), while su is ambiguous and could mean his/her/their/your(formal).