Tu, você, vós, a gente

This post is not intended to teach everything about pronoun. The idea is to clear some questions about the controversial pronouns tu, você, vós, a gente.


If you look up on a classic grammar book, you'll find 8 pronouns:
Eu (I)
Tu (you)
Ele (he)
Ela(she)
Nós (we)
Vós(you - plural)
Eles (he - plural)
Elas (she-plural)


If you're in Brazil, you may notice that we use você a lot, and also a gente, and they are not on that list. Also we don't say vós. There's a big debate regarding the pronouns vós, tu and você. If you read about this on the Internet, you may get very confused. What happens is that our language is going through some changes. The formal rules have not changed, but on each part of the country different things are happening. Let's see.


1 - Vós
If you are in Brazil, you can forget vós. It's so old fashioned that only if you're reading a book from the 18th or 19th century you'll need it. Nowadays, people say vocês. But, in an extremelly formal situation, it would be possible. In catholic churches, for example, a priest may say it when quoting the Bible.


2 - Tu and Você
Tu is still spoken in some parts of Brazil. People, mainly from the north, northeast and south say it, but they usually conjugate it wrong. 


i.e.
Tu vai ao jogo? - The correct way is tu vais ao jogo?
Tu foi à praia?  - The correct way is tu foste a praia?
Tu gosta de chocolate. - The correct ways is tu gostas de chocolate.


The other parts of Brazil mainly say você and it conjugates the way ele is conjugated.


i.e 
Você vai ao jogo?
Você foi à praia?
Você gosta de chocolate.


So which one should I say?
My tip is: when in Brazil, notice if people around you say você or tu and speak like they do. Or use the one you feel more comfortable.


3 - A gente
A gente means we. Some people think it's too informal. And it conjugates like ele. 


A gente dorme cedo. or Nós dormimos cedo.
A gente mora no Brazil. or Nós moramos no Brazil.




Remember, if you're in Brazil:
Eu, você, tu, ele, ela, nós, a gente, vocês, eles, elas.


Até a próxima! Tchau!