Using "vos" instead of "tú" in Spanish

Spanish textbooks and classes, at least in the States, do not teach the "vos" form for informal 2nd person. But there are tens of millions of Latin Americans who use it, including in Argentina (where apparently it is standard and even used in writing), Uruguay, Paraguay, Central America, and parts of other countries. So I have a couple of questions for native (or non-native fluent) Spanish speakers:

Would it be odd for an American to learn the voseo forms correctly and use them, if he or she is primarily interested in the Spanish dialect from one of those countries? (Especially Argentina.)

Is there much difference in the voseo forms among the various countries that use them? (And is it a "problem" even when speaking with speakers from non-voseo regions?)

I think that any Spanish learner should learn both ways because he never will know how a Spanish speaker will talk to him.
Remember that there are countries where both ways are used and anyway both forms are part of the Spanish language. Not to learn both would be an incomplete job.

By the way something funny happened in an interview with Jennifer López that I saw some time ago. I always thought that her first language was Spanish but I realized it isn't. She speaks a perfect Spanish while she doesn't use words with 'ñ' then she says 'ni' f.e. 'año' (year) she says 'anio'.

In a part of the interview the guy made her a question using 'vos' so she didn't understand and asked 'who ?' so the guy said 'vos', pointing her with his finger, so she touched her chest with her finger and asked '¿ vos ?'

Hi James,

>I think that any Spanish learner should learn both ways because he never will know how a Spanish speaker will talk to him.

I completely agree with Aldo.

The standard form in Spanish is "TU" even though some small communities throughout Latin America use "VOS" the truth is that it is only official in Argentina and Uruguay, all the other countries use "TU" as the official form, therefore it would be like if in English in Australia instead of "YOU" they said "KOO", obviously most people learning English would learn "YOU" and not "KOO", and that's what happens with Spanish just because Argentines decided to change that word doesn’t mean that it is as important as the common one.

<< Would it be odd for an American to learn the voseo forms correctly and use them, if he or she is primarily interested in the Spanish dialect from one of those countries? (Especially Argentina.) >>

If you're obviously a foreign speaker, it'll probably look strange if you use "vos", because they expect foreigners to use "tú". You should certainly learn what the conjugations are, though, so you'll recognize them correctly in speech. Then when the time comes, when you finally sound native-like, you should automatically be able to start using them yourself without any problems.

<< Is there much difference in the voseo forms among the various countries that use them? (And is it a "problem" even when speaking with speakers from non-voseo regions?) >>

Actually, there is a bit of variation. For example:

Hablar, present tense:
Tú: hablas
Vos (Argentina): hablás
Vos (Venezuela): habláis (same as Spain's "vosotros" conjugation)
Vos (Chile): hablaí

For the other tenses and moods, the same pattern is usually followed. For instance, I THINK that the Argentinian conjugation for -ar verbs is the same as the vosotros conjugation with the "i" removed, except in the simple past tense ("hablasteis" becomes "hablaste", same as tú, rather than "hablastes", although I hear that some speakers do say "hablastes"). Do note that the imperative needs an accent mark: "hablad' becomes "hablá".

I think the Argentinian form is the one usually used in other countries where voseo is found, but I'm not sure.

<< The standard form in Spanish is "TU" even though some small communities throughout Latin America use "VOS" the truth is that it is only official in Argentina and Uruguay >>

I hear that "vos" is extremely common in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and possibly one or two other Central American countries.

- Kef

<<If you're obviously a foreign speaker, it'll probably look strange if you use "vos", because they expect foreigners to use "tú".>>

I forgot to say that there are really three ways: tu, vos y usted which complicates the learning since each form has a different conjugation.

Usted es (you are)
Tu eres (you are)
Vos sos (you are)

Countries could use any or at least 2 of them at the same time: usted-vos, tu-usted or even the 3.

The truth is that is just too much to learn, and they're not gonna teach you how to conjugate the same verb twice just because people in Argentina and some small central American countries use it, if you talk to them in the "TU" from, they'll be able to understand you perfectly. And in case you don't understand them, just ask them to talk to you in TU and they will know, not to mention that it is only official in Argentina and Uruguay, therefore if you hear it in any other country then they're speaking improperly.

I wouldn't worry about it. If you're competent in the language it is type of thing which you will pick up very fast, being in the country or reading it.

I'm probably the only regular in this forum who normally uses "vos". In Uruguay it is standard in everyday communication, in printed literature, in advertising, etc. In more formal situations (but not formal enough to merit use of "usted", eg a TV anchor addressing a local correspondent is the latest example I can recall) I've heard people resort to "tú".
To complicate things even further, it is not uncommon to hear things such as: "Si tú querés" or "Eso que tú decís está bien." ie a mixture of the personal pronoun "tú" with the verb conjugation that corresponds to "vos". There are notable but persistent pockets in which the "vos" form has not been able to penetrate. Punta del Este, the seaside resort for the affluent, is in Maldonado, a place that has supposedly resisted the "voseo".

As to the question, I'm perfectly able (as well as most if not all of my countrymen I should think) to switch between the two forms and to understand both forms. So perhaps only a passive knowledge of the "vos" is necessary for learners of Spanish who plan to travel in Argentina and Uruguay or to read literature from those countries.

Si tú querés" o "Eso que tú decís está bien." =Uruguayan
"Si vis" o "Id dicis tu bene est." = Latin

Gabriel, would you find it wierd if a non-native was speaking with 'vos' to you?

<<Gabriel, would you find it wierd if a non-native was speaking with 'vos' to you?>>

I actually had the experience not so long ago with a Canadian guy who had been in Uruguay for a couple of years and was quite fluent in Spanish. He used "vos" and it seemed natural, given the circumstances. If a non-native speaker in the US (where I am now) addressed me using the "vos" form, I'd find it interesting (not really weird) and I'd want to learn more about where that person learned Spanish.

I don't think I wanna have to learn how to conjugate the same verb twice just because people in Argentina conjugate it diferrentely, If I talk in "Tu" form, they'll be able to understand me perfectely.

Of course, learn 'tu' but if you move to Argentina then of course you shall learn vos easily.

I don't think I'll ever move to Argentina, but if someday I see an Argentine, I'll just talk to him in "Tu" form, he'll understand.