Mismos

Mismos is the masculine plural form of the Spanish adjective and pronoun mismo, used to express sameness or emphasis. In modern Spanish it serves multiple functions, mainly as a determiner meaning “the same,” as a pronoun referring to previously mentioned items, and as an intensive pronoun when paired with personal pronouns or nouns. The form agrees with the gender and number of the noun it accompanies or the subject it emphasizes.

As an adjective, mismo precedes the noun to mean “the same,” and must agree in gender and number with that noun: los mismos problemas (the same problems), las mismas palabras (the same words). It can also follow a definite article for emphasis, as in las palabras mismas or los problemas mismos, though the pre-nominal position is more common in contemporary usage. Its feminine plural form is mismas, masculine plural is mismos.

As a pronoun, mismo can stand in for a previously mentioned noun phrase, yielding expressions like “Fueron los mismos” or “los mismos llegaron,” meaning “they were the same [people]” or “the same ones came.” When used with a subject or possessive, mismo functions as an intensive pronoun.

As an intensive or reflexive intensifier, mismo pairs with pronouns and nouns: Yo mismo lo hice (I myself did it), Nosotros mismos lo arreglamos (We ourselves fixed it). This usage emphasizes agency, identity, or involvement and varies with gender and number: yo mismo, tú misma, nosotros mismos, nosotras mismas, etc.

Etymology traces to Latin ipse, with the current meaning developing in the evolution of Spanish pronouns and adjectives. Mismos is widely used across dialects, with placement and nuance shaped by regional style and emphasis needs.