you
UK: juː | US: juː
Definition
pron. the person or people being addressed
pron. used to refer to people in general
Structure
No data yet.
Etymology
The word "you" traces back to Old English ēow, the dative/accusative form of gē (plural "ye"). It evolved from Proto-Germanic jūz and ultimately Proto-Indo-European yū́ (second-person plural pronoun). Originally, "you" was exclusively plural or formal (like French vous), while "thou" served as the singular/informal form. By the 17th century, "you" replaced "thou" entirely in standard English, simplifying the pronoun system.
Examples
You are my best friend.
Can you help me with this task?
You should always be kind to others.
Do you understand the instructions?
I’ll see you tomorrow.