Spanish conjugation explanation
Accent marks in 'vosotros' forms

<p>In Spanish, the

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/conjugationExplanation/spanish_rules_of_stress/" target="_blank">general rules of stress</a>

state that words ending in a vowel, <strong>n</strong>, or <strong>s</strong> are naturally stressed on the <strong>second-to-last syllable</strong> (penultimate).</p>

<p>However, regular <strong>vosotros</strong> forms (used in Spain for "you all") in the

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/14/" target="_blank">Present Indicative</a>

and

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/19/" target="_blank">Present Subjunctive</a>

are pronounced with the stress on the <strong>last syllable</strong>. Because these forms end in <strong>s</strong> but deviate from the natural stress pattern, they require a <strong>written accent mark (tilde)</strong> on the vowel.</p>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Present Indicative</div>

<p>For all three conjugation types in the Present Indicative, the <span style="font-style: italic;">vosotros</span> ending carries an accent mark to indicate the stress falls on the final syllable (<strong>-áis</strong>, <strong>-éis</strong>, or <strong>-ís</strong>).</p>

<ul>

<li>

<div><strong>-ar verbs (e.g.,

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/pensar/" title="Click to see conjugations for pensar" target="_blank">hablar</a>

):</strong> <span style="font-style: italic;">-áis</span></div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Vosotros <span class="green_emphasis">habláis</span> español muy bien. (<span style="font-style: italic;">You speak Spanish very well.</span>)</div>

</li>

<li>

<div><strong>-er verbs (e.g.,

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/comer/" title="Click to see conjugations for comer" target="_blank">comer</a>

):</strong> <span style="font-style: italic;">-éis</span></div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Vosotros <span class="green_emphasis">coméis</span> a las dos. (<span style="font-style: italic;">You eat at two o'clock.</span>)</div>

</li>

<li>

<div><strong>-ir verbs (e.g.,

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/escribir/" title="Click to see conjugations for escribir" target="_blank">escribir</a>

):</strong> <span style="font-style: italic;">-ís</span></div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">¿Por qué no <span class="green_emphasis">escribís</span> cartas? (<span style="font-style: italic;">Why don't you write letters?</span>)</div>

</li>

</ul>

<p>In the following tables, the <span style="font-style: italic;">vosotros</span> forms are highlighted to show the accent pattern:</p>

<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label tense_box no_dark_mode " href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/14/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Presente</a>

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">pienso<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>

</div>

tú

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">piensas<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>

</div>

él

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">piensa<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>

</div>

nosotros

</span>pensamos

</span>

</div>

vosotros

</span>pensáis

</span>

</div>

ellos

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">piensan<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>

</div>

<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label tense_box no_dark_mode " href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/14/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Presente</a>

</span>como

</span>

</div>

tú

</span>comes

</span>

</div>

él

</span>come

</span>

</div>

nosotros

</span>comemos

</span>

</div>

vosotros

</span>coméis

</span>

</div>

ellos

</span>comen

</span>

</div>

<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label tense_box no_dark_mode " href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/14/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Presente</a>

</span>escribo

</span>

</div>

tú

</span>escribes

</span>

</div>

él

</span>escribe

</span>

</div>

nosotros

</span>escribimos

</span>

</div>

vosotros

</span>escribís

</span>

</div>

ellos

</span>escriben

</span>

</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Present Subjunctive</div>

<p>The logic is identical in the Subjunctive mood. The forms end in <strong>s</strong> and are stressed on the last syllable, so they must be accented. Note that due to the subjunctive vowel swap, <strong style="font-style: italic;">-ar</strong> verbs take <strong>-éis</strong>, while <strong style="font-style: italic;">-er/-ir</strong> verbs take <strong>-áis</strong>.</p>

<ul>

<li>

<div><strong>-ar verbs: -éis</strong></div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Espero que <span class="green_emphasis">habléis</span> con él. (<span style="font-style: italic;">I hope you speak with him.</span>)</div>

</li>

<li>

<div><strong>-er/-ir verbs: -áis</strong></div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Es necesario que <span class="green_emphasis">comáis</span> algo. (<span style="font-style: italic;">It is necessary that you eat something.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Quiero que <span class="green_emphasis">escribáis</span> su nombre. (<span style="font-style: italic;">I want you to write his name.</span>)</div>

</li>

</ul>

<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label tense_box no_dark_mode " href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/19/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Presente subjuntivo</a>

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">piense<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>

</div>

tú

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">pienses<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>

</div>

él

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">piense<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>

</div>

nosotros

</span>pensemos

</span>

</div>

vosotros

</span>penséis

</span>

</div>

ellos

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">piensen<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>

</div>

<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label tense_box no_dark_mode " href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/19/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Presente subjuntivo</a>

</span>coma

</span>

</div>

tú

</span>comas

</span>

</div>

él

</span>coma

</span>

</div>

nosotros

</span>comamos

</span>

</div>

vosotros

</span>comáis

</span>

</div>

ellos

</span>coman

</span>

</div>

<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label tense_box no_dark_mode " href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/19/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Presente subjuntivo</a>

</span>escriba

</span>

</div>

tú

</span>escribas

</span>

</div>

él

</span>escriba

</span>

</div>

nosotros

</span>escribamos

</span>

</div>

vosotros

</span>escribáis

</span>

</div>

ellos

</span>escriban

</span>

</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Exceptions: Monosyllabic Forms</div>

<p>A few irregular verbs have

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/conjugationExplanation/spanish_monosyllabic_verb_form/" target="_blank">monosyllabic</a>

(one syllable) forms for <span style="font-style: italic;">vosotros</span>. According to Spanish spelling rules, monosyllables generally do <strong>not</strong> carry an accent mark. These are the most common exceptions in the Present Indicative:</p>

<ul>

<li><strong>dar:</strong> Vosotros <span class="green_emphasis">dais</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">You give</span>)</li>

<li><strong>ir:</strong> Vosotros <span class="green_emphasis">vais</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">You go</span>)</li>

<li><strong>ser:</strong> Vosotros <span class="green_emphasis">sois</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">You are</span>)</li>

<li><strong>ver:</strong> Vosotros <span class="green_emphasis">veis</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">You see</span>)</li>

</ul>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Comparisons to Other Tenses</div>

<p>Students often confuse the Present Indictive with the

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/15/" target="_blank">Imperfect</a>

, which looks similar but follows different rules:</p>

<ul>

<li>

<div><strong>Imperfect of -ar verbs:</strong></div>

<p>Forms like <span style="font-style: italic;">hablabais</span> do <strong>not</strong> have an accent. The stress falls naturally on the penultimate syllable (<span style="font-style: italic;">ha-BLA-bais</span>), adhering to the standard rule for words ending in <strong>s</strong>.</p>

</li>

<li>

<div><strong>Imperfect of -er/-ir verbs:</strong></div>

<p>Forms like <span style="font-style: italic;">comíais</span> or <span style="font-style: italic;">vivíais</span> <strong>do</strong> have an accent. However, this is strictly to break the diphthong (separating the strong vowel <span style="font-style: italic;">a</span> from the weak vowel <span style="font-style: italic;">i</span>), not because of the final <strong>s</strong>.</p>

</li>

</ul>

Spanish conjugation explanation Accent marks in 'vosotros' forms

Spanish conjugation explanation
Accent marks in 'vosotros' forms