Vós

Vós is the second-person plural pronoun in Portuguese, used to address more than one person. It corresponds to the English "you" (plural). In modern Brazilian Portuguese, vós is rarely used outside religious or literary contexts, with vocês serving as the common second-person plural. In European Portuguese, vós persists in formal writing, liturgical language, and some regional dialects, but is increasingly uncommon in everyday speech.

Grammatically, vós functions as the subject of a sentence. Verbs conjugated for vós differ from those used with você or vocês. In the present tense, many -ar verbs form vós as -ais (falais), -er verbs as -eis (comeis), and -ir verbs as -is (abrís). Other tenses also have distinct vós forms, reflecting a separate set of endings from the modern segunda pessoa do plural with vocês.

Historically, vós derives from Latin vos and was the standard second-person plural form in early modern Portuguese. It shared parallels with other Romance languages, such as the Spanish vosotros. Over time, usage shifted toward você/vocês in most regions, especially in Brazil, while vós retained ceremonial, religious, and literary usage in Portugal and some Lusophone communities.

Regional and register differences mark vós today. In secular conversation, its appearance signals formality or a classical tone; in contemporary media and education, it is usually avoided in favor of vocês. Its presence can convey historical or regional flavor and is sometimes preserved in religious texts and poetry.