Frustrating mixed modes

Question

I don't feel like there is good guidance in this.  I see what appears to be mixed modes- Mi and ti, but not nos- it's nosotros.  If nosotros is the valid pronoun for this form, why is ti valid and tu not valid? There is no guidance here and I am constantly getting these screwed up.  To me, nosotros=we, nos=us, and nuestra=our.  I get it if they truly use those in that way, but please call it out as an exception so I know to memorize it that way.  Otherwise I am trying to find and fit a pattern and am hitting the wall trying to pass these tests in a way that I know I can replicate this in a week or a month from now and get it correctly then as well, and not just memorize it long enough to pass the test today.

Answer

Hola Jeffrey

You would know about not using yo/tú but mí/ti if you get to the end of the lesson where this is explicit in the TIP box where it says:

"Notice how the first two pronouns (me, you) are: mí, ti. The rest of the forms are the same as the subject pronouns (él, ella, usted, nosotros, nosotras, vosotros, vosotras, ellos, ellas, ustedes)."

Saludos cordiales

Inma

Also remember: mí has a written accent [´] while ti does not.

Answer

Hey Jeffrey, one way to keep track is to look at the types of words that are used together.

(1) NOSOTROS

a) Nosotros by itself means “we”.

b) Nosotros after a preposition, as in “a nosotros” or “con nosotros” means “us”.

(2) NOS

a) Nos comes before a verb (as a direct object) and means “us”. Nos lleva means “he is taking us (somewhere)”.

b) It can also be part of a proniminal verb and mean “each other”. Nos vemos means “we’ll see each other”.

(3) NUESTRA

a) Nuestra comes in front of a noun. Nuestra casa means “our house”.

b) It can also come after the verb ser. Esa casa es nuestra means “that house is ours”.

In general, it’s better to study words in groups instead of separately. Then it’s easier to remember the different meanings of words.