Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • pronoun Used to refer to the one or ones being addressed.
  • pronoun Used to refer to an indefinitely specified person; one.
  • pronoun Nonstandard Used reflexively as the indirect object of a verb.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • See ye.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • pronoun The pronoun of the second person, in the nominative, dative, and objective case, indicating the person or persons addressed. See the Note under ye.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • determiner The individual or group spoken or written to.
  • determiner Used before epithets for emphasis.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Old English ēow, dative and accusative of , ye, you; see yu- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English you, yow, ȝow, (object case of ye), from Old English ēow, īow ("you"; dative case of ġē), from *iwwiz ("you"; dative case of *jīz), Western form of Proto-Germanic *izwiz ("you"; dative case of *jūz), from *yūs (“you (plural)”). Cognate with West Frisian jo ("you"), Low German jo ("you"), Dutch jou & u ("you"), Middle High German eu, iu ("you", obj. pron.), Latin vōs ("you"), Avestan vō ("you").

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word you.

Examples

  • To this I reply, I know you do not make the laws, but I also know that _you are the wives and mothers, the sisters and daughters of those who do_; and if you really suppose _you_ can do nothing to overthrow slavery, you are greatly mistaken.

    The Anti-Slavery Examiner, Omnibus American Anti-Slavery Society

  • To this I reply, I know you do not make the laws, but I also know that _you are the wives and mothers, the sisters and daughters of those who do_; and if you really suppose _you_ can do nothing to overthrow slavery, you are greatly mistaken.

    The Anti-Slavery Examiner, Part 1 of 4 American Anti-Slavery Society

  • To this I reply, I know you do not make the laws, but I also know that _you are the wives and mothers, the sisters and daughters of those who do; _ and if you really suppose _you_ can do nothing to overthrow slavery, you are greatly mistaken.

    An Appeal to the Christian Women of the South Angelina Emily Grimke 1842

  • How I shall love to see you look fondly at each other as you say: "Be happy, Jim -- you've worked hard for this;" or James says: "Take your comfort, little mother, let them all wait upon _you -- you_ waited upon _them_.

    The Return of Peter Grimm David Belasco 1892

  • "But as you do exist, and as I happen to love you, and as I happen to have discovered -- what I could never wildly have dared to hope -- that you are not utterly indifferent to me, I may tell you that I intend to marry _you -- you -- you_.

    The Lady Paramount Henry Harland 1883

  • Being @you, especially on a social-media site that becomes a mass-market success, proves you are an early adopter, in on the ground floor of the next big thing.

    How Adam Got @Adam and Became Cool Online Katherine Rosman 2011

  • If you don\'t like pay inequity between men and women just remember how American Idol producers pretty much said \ "screw you\" to Paula Abdul.

    Eve Tahmincioglu: Say "no" to American Idol, "yes" to equal pay for women 2010

  •  I tell you this:  you blink your TV channel surfer at me and you know nothing but that you blinked.

    The Nielsens (part one) 2010

  • But the only noises we make, the only things we can do, are to let you hear, the empty sounds we make when you  press us against your ear.

    Sea Shell (The Story of Me) 2010

  • Take responsibility for your own life, fate, destiny, etc. and * make life work for you* - do no let it it bow you over and have its way with you, fight back and play the best hand you can with the cards you are dealt.

    Are You Victimizing Yourself? 2010

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • Enough about me, let's talk about you!

    January 10, 2007

  • The magic word in all good copy. Using the word 'you' forces you to have a personal conversation with the person reading it. Don't you agree?

    '15 words that will make you money'

    July 3, 2009

  • I agree with you, g!

    July 3, 2009

  • Hah, d, you are such a joy!

    July 3, 2009

  • You are you, and I am I, and if by chance we find each other, then it is beautiful.

    Gestalt prayer.

    February 25, 2010

  • You are you, and I am I, and if by chance we find each other, then it is beautiful.

    Gestalt prayer.

    February 25, 2010