How do you say they in Spanish?

They in Spanish is ellos for masculine or mixed-gender groups, and ellas for groups that are all female. The pronoun is usually dropped in real speech because Spanish verb endings already show the subject (hablan means they speak).

What's the difference between ellos and ellas?

Ellos is for all-male groups and any mixed-gender group (default masculine). Ellas is only for all-female groups. The moment one man is in the mix, it switches to ellos. This rule applies to all Spanish plural agreement, not just pronouns.

Why do Spanish speakers leave out ellos and ellas?

Because the verb already tells you. Hablan ends in -an, which is the third-person plural ending: hablan = they speak. Saying ellos hablan is grammatically fine but redundant. Pronouns get added for emphasis (sí, ellos lo hicieron, yes, they did it) or contrast (ellos van, nosotros nos quedamos).

How do I know which Spanish subject pronoun to use?

Match the gender and number of the people you're talking about: yo (I), tú (you), él / ella (he / she), nosotros / nosotras (we), vosotros / vosotras (you-plural in Spain), ellos / ellas (they). Hearing native speakers use them in real moments makes the choice automatic; Parrot's videos surface them in natural conversation.

Spanish vocabulary · Beginner

They in Spanish: Ellos and Ellas, with the Gender and Drop-It Rules

Written by Sofia Ramirez, Lead Spanish Curriculum Editor · Reviewed May 2026

Ellos · subject pronoun · EH-yohs (ellos), EH-yahs (ellas)

They in Spanish is ellos for groups that are all male or mixed-gender, and ellas for groups that are all female. Spanish often drops the pronoun entirely because the verb ending shows the subject: hablan means they speak with no need to say ellos / ellas.

Ellos is EH-yohs, two syllables. Ellas is EH-yahs. The double l is a soft y sound (not the English double-l). Stress on the first syllable.

Ellos viven en Madrid.

They live in Madrid.

They in Spanish: Quick Reference

Below are the most common Spanish words for they, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.

Spanish	English	Pronunciation	Region / Register
ellos	they	EH-yohs (ellos), EH-yahs (ellas)	Default, widely understood
ellas	they		feminine: a group of all women
ellos / ellas	they		mixed-gender groups default to ellos
ustedes	they		you all (formal you-plural in Latin America, can overlap)

How Native Speakers Use Ellos

Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.

Mixed or masculine group

Ellos llegaron tarde a la fiesta.

They arrived late to the party.

Ellos covers all-male groups and any mixed-gender group, even if it's mostly women plus one man.

All-female group

Ellas son hermanas.

They are sisters.

Ellas only when the group is exclusively female. Add one man and it switches to ellos.

Pronoun dropped (most common in real speech)

Hablan español y francés.

They speak Spanish and French.

In everyday Spanish, the pronoun ellos / ellas is usually omitted. The -an verb ending already tells you the subject is third-person plural. Including the pronoun is reserved for emphasis or contrast.

Avoid These Mistakes When Using Ellos

Including the pronoun in every sentence (over-translating from English)

Incorrect: Ellos comen, ellos hablan, ellos ríen.

Correct: Comen, hablan, ríen.

Spanish verb endings already encode the subject. Repeating ellos sounds robotic and unnatural. Use the pronoun only for emphasis (ellos sí saben, they really do know) or contrast (yo voy y ellos se quedan, I'm going and they're staying).

Using ellas for a mixed group

Incorrect: María, Ana, y Carlos: ellas están aquí.

Correct: María, Ana, y Carlos: ellos están aquí.

Spanish defaults to masculine plural for any mixed-gender group, even if it's mostly women. Ellas only applies when the group is 100% female. This rule extends to plural nouns: los amigos covers male-and-female friends.

Lock in They Vocabulary with the Parrot Method

Why word lists alone don't stick

Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.

See Ellos used by native speakers

Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using ellos in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Ellos viven en Madrid. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.

Save, review, repeat, stay consistent

Tap any word to save it. Parrot's spaced-repetition system surfaces it right before you'd forget, no manual flashcard creation. The watch, parrot back, save, review cycle turns recognition into fluency at 2.7x the speed of traditional study.

Common Questions About They in Spanish

How do you say they in Spanish?: They in Spanish is ellos for masculine or mixed-gender groups, and ellas for groups that are all female. The pronoun is usually dropped in real speech because Spanish verb endings already show the subject (hablan means they speak).
What's the difference between ellos and ellas?: Ellos is for all-male groups and any mixed-gender group (default masculine). Ellas is only for all-female groups. The moment one man is in the mix, it switches to ellos. This rule applies to all Spanish plural agreement, not just pronouns.
Why do Spanish speakers leave out ellos and ellas?: Because the verb already tells you. Hablan ends in -an, which is the third-person plural ending: hablan = they speak. Saying ellos hablan is grammatically fine but redundant. Pronouns get added for emphasis (sí, ellos lo hicieron, yes, they did it) or contrast (ellos van, nosotros nos quedamos).
How do I know which Spanish subject pronoun to use?: Match the gender and number of the people you're talking about: yo (I), tú (you), él / ella (he / she), nosotros / nosotras (we), vosotros / vosotras (you-plural in Spain), ellos / ellas (they). Hearing native speakers use them in real moments makes the choice automatic; Parrot's videos surface them in natural conversation.