you

determiner possessive your · possessive pronoun without noun yours · reflexive singular yourself · plural reflexive yourselves · alternative archaic dialectal nominative plural ye · alternative informal pronunciation spelling ya · alternative informal pronunciation spelling yah · alternative informal pronunciation spelling yer · alternative informal pronunciation spelling yeh · alternative informal pronunciation spelling y' · alternative informal pronunciation spelling yo · alternative informal pronunciation spelling yu · alternative informal pronunciation spelling yuh · alternative obsolete pronunciation spelling yew · alternative pronunciation spelling yoh · alternative pronunciation spelling yoo

1. nominativeobjectivepluralsecond personsingularobject pronounThe people spoken, or written to, as an object.First known use 9th c.

   Both of you should get ready now.

   2 more examples

   I'll look up you and your sister.

   And Ioſeph ſaid vnto them, That is it that I ſpake vnto you, ſaying, Ye are ſpies.

   1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 42:14, column 1

2. UScolloquialnominativeobjectivepluralpronounreflexivesecond personsingular(To) yourselves, (to) yourself.First known use 9th c.

   ‘Pull you up a chair,’ she offered.

   1970, Donald Harington, Lightning Bug

   4 more examples

   If I may counsaile you, some day or two / Your Highnesse shall repose you at the Tower [...].

   c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals)

   And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city.

   1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis XIX

   'Draw near, and wash you in the living flames, and take their virtue into your poor frames in all its virgin strength[.]'

   1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC

   You'd better get you a gun and kill him before he kills you or somebody.

   1975, Joseph Nazel, Death for Hire

3. nominativeobjectivepluralsecond personsingularobject pronounThe person spoken to or written to, as an object. (Replacing thee; originally as a mark of respect.)First known use 13th c.

   I charge you, as ye woll have my love, that ye warne your kynnesmen that ye woll beare that day the slyve of golde uppon your helmet.

   c. 1485, Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur, Book VIII

4. nominativeobjectivepluralpronounsecond personsingularsubjectiveThe people spoken to or written to, as a subject. (Replacing ye.)First known use 14th c.

   You are all supposed to do as I tell you.

   1 more example

   Are you excited? ― Yes, I am excited!

   2016, VOA Learning English (public domain)

5. nominativeobjectivepluralpronounsecond personsingularsubjectiveThe person spoken to or written to, as a subject. (Originally as a mark of respect.)First known use 15th c.

   You are right, Fanny, to protest against such an office, but you need not be afraid.

   1814 May 9, [Jane Austen], chapter IX, in Mansfield Park: […], volume II, London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC, page 208

6. colloquialnominativeobjectivepluralpronounsecond personsingularsubjectiveA person's favorite sports team.

   I get that you're from Southeast Michigan, but I'm still surprised that you're a Detroit Lions fan. You have been on the receiving end of losing seasons for a while now.

7. indefinitenominativeobjectivepersonalpluralpronounsecond personsingularAnyone, one; an unspecified individual or group of individuals (as subject or object).First known use 16th c.

   The ascent is precipitous, but the path is cut into continual and short windings, which enable you to surmount the perpendicularity of the mountain.

   1816 June – 1817 April/May (date written), [Mary Shelley], chapter II, in Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. […], volume II, London: […] [Macdonald and Son] for Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, & Jones, published 1 January 1818, →OCLC, page 18

   1 more example

   You can't choose your family, your lovers are difficult and volatile, but, oh, you can choose your friends - so doesn't it make much more sense to live and holiday with them instead?

   2001 May 5, Polly Vernon, The Guardian

   Synonyms: one, people, they, them

8. indefinitenominativeobjectivepersonalpluralpronounsecond personsingularA dummy pronoun used in certain constructions, usually with verbs of receiving (such as get or find) or sensing (such as see or hear), typically stating the existence or typicality of something.

   You get a lot of rude people in London.

   4 more examples

   It was one of those small-town dive bars you often read about.

   You find a lot of 'life' in the city but much of it is an act people are putting on.

   1973, Soldiers

   You get some terrible bullies in Spanish villages too , and they'll doubtless grow up to be complete oafs.

   2018 October 4, Javier Marías, Berta Isla, Penguin UK, →ISBN

   You often hear about athletes having the jitters before a game, or having butterflies in their stomach.

   2018 January 16, Rick Wolff, Secrets of Sports Psychology Revealed: Proven Techniques to Elevate Your Performance, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN

   Synonyms: y'all, ye

alternative archaic dialectal nominative plural ye · alternative informal pronunciation spelling ya · alternative informal pronunciation spelling yah · alternative informal pronunciation spelling yer · alternative informal pronunciation spelling yeh · alternative informal pronunciation spelling y' · alternative informal pronunciation spelling yo · alternative informal pronunciation spelling yu · alternative informal pronunciation spelling yuh · alternative obsolete pronunciation spelling yew · alternative pronunciation spelling yoh · alternative pronunciation spelling yoo · alternative West Midlands yow · alternative Internet informal u · alternative Internet informal yuo · alternative obsolete youe

1. The individual or group spoken or written to.

   Have you gentlemen come to see the lady who fell backwards off a bus?

2. Used before epithets, describing the person being addressed, for emphasis.

   You idiot!

   1 more example

   'You genius!' I shouted in Aretta's ear. 'You absolute genius! Why didn't you tell us you were so good?'

   2015, Judi Curtin, Only Eva, The O'Brien Press, →ISBN

3. nonstandardYour.

   Tell me about ’e barber who shaved you hair so close,—was he kind to you?

   1899 August, E[lizabeth] Stuart Phelps [Ward], “Loveliness: A Story”, in The Atlantic Monthly, volume LXXXIV, number DII, Washington, D.C.: The Atlantic Monthly Group, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 16 Mar 2026, page 228, column 2

   2 more examples

   “No. I need a ride into Buenos Aires. You remember what we arranged?” “You wife’s a-gonna give a-birt?” “That’s right. Are you free?”

   2002 [1997], Pablo Urbanyi, translated by Hugh Hazelton, “Entry 21: The Longest Day of the Year Begins”, in Sunset, Fredericton, N.B.: Broken Jaw Press, →ISBN, page 72

   “You oyster gravy, Massa Sam,” said Ella, ladling a couple of spoonfuls over the rice.

   2014 September 5, Arthur Hamilton, “Margaret Rose McAllister”, in Jonathan’s Journey, [Bloomington, Ind.]: Xlibris, →ISBN

present singular third person yous · participle present youing · participle past youed · past youed · alternative archaic dialectal nominative plural ye · alternative informal pronunciation spelling ya · alternative informal pronunciation spelling yah · alternative informal pronunciation spelling yer · alternative informal pronunciation spelling yeh · alternative informal pronunciation spelling y' · alternative informal pronunciation spelling yo · alternative informal pronunciation spelling yu · alternative informal pronunciation spelling yuh · alternative obsolete pronunciation spelling yew · alternative pronunciation spelling yoh · alternative pronunciation spelling yoo

1. transitiveTo address (a person) using the pronoun you (in the past, especially to use you rather than thou, when you was considered more formal).

   Youing consists in relating everything in the conversation to the person you wish to flatter, and introducing the word “you” into your speech as often as possible.

   1930, Barrington Hall, Modern Conversation, Brewer & Warren, page 239

   2 more examples

   Now even Princess Anne had dropped it. Sarah had heard her youing away on television the other night just like the inhabitants of her mother’s dominions beyond the seas.

   1992, Barbara Anderson, Portrait of the Artist’s Wife, Victoria University Press, page 272

   But even having my very own personal pronoun was risky, because it’s pretty tough to keep stopped-hope stopped up when you are getting all youed up, when someone you really like keeps promising you scary, fun, exciting stuff—and even tougher for the^([sic]) of that moment to remain securely devoid of hope, to make smart, self-denying decisions with Dad youing me—the long ooo of it broad and extended, like a hand.

   2004, Ellen Miller, “Practicing”, in Brooklyn Noir, Akashic Books

plural yous · alternative u

1. The name of the Latin script letter U/u.

   ‘Eff. You. En,’ said Mr Banstead. ‘Fun![…]’

   1969, Michael Feld, The Sabbatical Year, London: Alan Ross Ltd, page 301

   2 more examples

   It said, in a whispering, buzzing voice, "Gee-you-ess-ess-ay-dash-em-ee-ar-ar-wye-dash-em-eye-en-gee-oh-dash-pee-eye-pee-dash-pee-ee-ar-ar-wye-dash-pee-eye-en-gee-oh."

   2004, Will Rogers, The Stonking Steps, page 170

   ‘S-S-C…sitting on a tree…eff-you-cee-kay-i-en-ji.’

   2019, Anand Ranganathan, Chitra Subramaniam, The Rat Eater, Bloomsbury India, →ISBN

1. honorificHonorific alternative letter-case form of you, sometimes used when referring to God or another important figure who is understood from context.

   Synonyms: Thou

plural Yous

1. countableA surname from Chinese
2. countablehistoricaluncountableA former prefecture of China.
3. Chinesecountableuncountablehuman sciencesSynonym of Youzhou, one of the Nine Provinces of Chinese legend.

   Synonyms: Youzhou, one of the Nine Provinces of Chinese legend