You and ye used to be the plural forms of the second person pronoun. You was the accusative form, and ye was the nominative form.
Because of this, you still conjugates verbs in the plural form even when it is singular; that is, you are is correct even if you is only referring to one person.
Thee and thou used to be the singular forms. Thou was the nominative form, and thee was the accusative form. Thy and thine were the genetive forms, and their use followed the same rules as a and an.
Answer from Peter Olson on Stack ExchangeReddit
reddit.com › r/grammar › how i say "you in plural"
r/grammar on Reddit: How I say "you in plural"
August 18, 2024 -
I was chatting with a Netherland guy, who speaks english so I said to him "Netherlands is my favorite soccer team, they deserve a world cup"
But I feel is wrong because im not including him in the phrase, like he deserves as well because he is from Netherlands. So is just "you"? is it interpretive?
Im not used to this because my nature is spanish and we have a word for you in plural, that has not a translation in english.
Another example, i can say "you are the best in this sport" but im not saying YOU personally, Im talking about the team.
Happens me all the time.
How I solve this?
Cheers.
Top answer 1 of 5
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Yes, just use you. For the second example they would know it is plural by context. American English can use “you guys” or “y’all” to avoid ambiguity. E: lol I didn’t mean for this to trigger everyone’s variations. There are many options, all valid in their own community of practice
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"you people" sounds potentially offensive so "you guys" seems to be the appropriate way of saying it
QuillBot
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Is you singular or plural?
September 15, 2024 - If you’re uncertain whether to choose you all or y’all, you can usually substitute the second-person pronoun “you,” which can be either singular or plural and is appropriate in any context. QuillBot’s free Paraphraser can help you select the right tone for your writing. ... Both “themselves” and “themself” can be used with the singular they. “Themselves” tends to be more widely accepted, especially for style guides, but “themself” has become more common in the English language. For example, “Justin helped themself/themselves to another serving of dinner.”
grammatical number - Did English ever have a "you" plural? - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange
Apart from the dialect form used in the Southern US, "y'all," has English ever had a plural "you"? If not, how does English get around using this form? More on english.stackexchange.com
word choice - How to make sure "you" is interpreted as plural? - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange
This is different than other languages ... and a "plural you", which are quite different. Usually this is not a problem, since the cardinality can be inferred from the context. However, sometimes it would be nice to explicitly state that you are referring to the whole group. Is there a generic way to do it? If not, then for a particular example, consider ... More on english.stackexchange.com
When do you use the plural of "Elternteil"?
Eltern = parents beide Elternteile = both parents Most of the time the difference doesn't matter and is used synonymously but technically the Eltern refers to the parents as a unit while Elternteile means both parents separately. Examples may be if the parents split up or if a teacher invites the parents to school. Inviting "die Eltern" usually means both parents are addressed but one parent is enough. "Die beiden Elternteile" specifies that you need both. Edit: Die Eltern can also refer to a larger pool of parents. So a school might say "Die Eltern sind zum Sportfest eingeladen." "The parents are invited to the sports festival." meaning all the parents of the schools students. Elternteile cant be used like this since it only refers to the parents of a specified child. More on reddit.com
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August 21, 2022How I say "you in plural"
Yes, just use you. For the second example they would know it is plural by context. American English can use “you guys” or “y’all” to avoid ambiguity. E: lol I didn’t mean for this to trigger everyone’s variations. There are many options, all valid in their own community of practice More on reddit.com
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August 18, 2024Is them singular or plural?
“Them” can be either singular or plural and, like the singular they, it is used to refer to someone when gender is unknown or irrelevant or to refer to a nonbinary person who uses “they/them” personal pronouns. · For example, “If a student misses a class, let them know they can come to office hours.”
quillbot.com
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Is you singular or plural?
Is are singular or plural?
Because “are” is a verb and not a noun, it’s not plural or singular. However, the verb “are” agrees with the plural subject pronoun “we” and plural nouns, such as “cats” (e.g., “My cats are watching the birds out the window”). · The verb “are” also agrees with the subject pronouns “you” and “they,” which can be singular or plural (e.g., “You are such a good friend” or “Babies cry when they are hungry”). · If you’re unsure about when to use are in your writing, QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you choose the correct verb.
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Is you singular or plural?
What are the plural subject pronouns?
The plural subject pronouns are “we,” “you,” “they,” and “who.” · “We” is always plural and means “one or more other people and I” (e.g., “We all love working here because our jobs are so fun”). · “You,” “they,” and “who” can be singular or plural (e.g., “I know all of the people who live in this building” and “The person lives next door is my best friend”). · If you’re unsure about when to use singular or plural pronouns, QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you avoid mistakes.
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Is you singular or plural?
Videos
04:34
What is the plural of YOU in English? - YouTube
‘You’ for Everybody #you #الإنجليزية #englishvocabulary #englishtips #language #onlineclass #englishspeaking #englishclass #learning #learnenglish #englishteacher #english #ingilizce #영어교사 #영어 #英語教師 #anh #inglés #profesordeingles #เรียนภาษา #ภาษาอังกฤษ #語言 #知識 #英語 | TikTok
Replying to @vera_an73 English is unusual in only having one word for you which is both singular and Plural. Do you use one? | TikTok
Analyzing English #18 - 'Understanding the Plural You Form in ...
11:45
Why is "you" singular and plural? - YouTube
Verbling
verbling.com › articles › post › what-is-the-plural-of-you
What is the plural of 'you'? | Verbling
July 9, 2018 - An interesting, additional phenomenon for some dialects of English (especially ones found in the US) is a resurgence of different second person plural forms. Some examples include 'you all' (also abbreviated to y'all), 'you guys' and other ...
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › You
You - Wikipedia
3 weeks ago - Example: "One should drink water frequently" or "You should drink water frequently". You almost always triggers plural verb agreement, even when it is semantically singular.
The English Bureau
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you, plural, singular, informal or formal?
April 15, 2021 - You may on rare occasions read or hear the older English form of second person singular informal – thou (or the plural thee). Literature, religious texts or song lyrics occasionally use these old fashioned versions instead of using the modern ‘you’. Thou and thee are still in use in some parts of Northern England but you’re unlikely to ever hear them spoken in London. In academic text or in formal speeches, the pronoun ‘one‘ is often used. For example; one needs to consider the effects of global warming.
Quora
quora.com › In-English-how-can-you-distinguish-the-singular-you-and-plural-you-Both-are-you-are-you-were-and-you-for-both-subject-and-object
In English, how can you distinguish the singular “you” and plural “you”? Both are “you are/you were” and “you” for both subject and object. - Quora
Answer (1 of 10): This rarely causes trouble for native speakers. Which meaning of “you” is meant should be clear from the context. If there is any chance of confusion, the speaker can add more words for clarity.
Top answer 1 of 5
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You and ye used to be the plural forms of the second person pronoun. You was the accusative form, and ye was the nominative form.
Because of this, you still conjugates verbs in the plural form even when it is singular; that is, you are is correct even if you is only referring to one person.
Thee and thou used to be the singular forms. Thou was the nominative form, and thee was the accusative form. Thy and thine were the genetive forms, and their use followed the same rules as a and an.
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You is the plural.
Thou is the singular form of you.
Thou has now disappeared from common use and is used only to address God.
The process resulting in the use of the singular pronoun to express intimacy and the plural pronoun to mark respect or social distance is termed T-V_distinction, after the Latin tu and vos and is found is many languages, especially of the Proto Indo European family tree.
See for instance, in addition to the Latin form above:
- French: tu => vous
- German: du => ihr (2nd person plural) or Sie (3rd person plural)
- Mandarin 你 (nǐ, you informal) => 您 (nín, you respectful) compared to (nǐmen, 你们, you to several persons).
Even some languages that seem not to comply exactly (because they don't seem to use the 2nd-person plural) actually hide a form a compliance.
- Spanish: tu => vos (obsolete, 2nd-person plural archaic form).
- Italian used to use voi (2nd person plural).
- The você of Portuguese is a contraction of vossa mercê (your mercy) which is an implicit 2nd person plural.
All in all, English has pushed T-V distinction so far that thou is not used anymore in common speak.
Langeek
langeek.co › home › grammar › grammar faq › you singular or plural
The difference between singular and plural "you" | LanGeek
1 week ago - 'Yourself' is a second person singular reflexive pronoun, 'you' is the second person personal pronoun both singular and plural. Can they be interchangeable? Which one is grammatically correct? 'I invited his parents, his girlfriend and he?' or 'I invited his parents, his girlfriend and him?' Let's find out! 'He' and 'his' are two examples of gender-specific words in the English language.
Scribbr
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Is “you” singular or plural?
October 29, 2022 - The second-person pronoun you is used for both the singular and the plural (i.e., whether you’re addressing one person or a group). The same goes for the
Quora
quora.com › How-do-you-say-you-in-plural
How to say 'you' in plural - Quora
Answer (1 of 11): The plural form of “you” is “you”. There is no specific singular for “you’, it is just as applicable to addressing one person as it is to addressing one hundred people and is always considered to be plural. Any verb association with you must be in plural form.
University of Illinois
blogs.illinois.edu › view › 25 › 686417
Hey, you guys, you is already plural
August 24, 2018 - Should we get rid of the plural you guys because it’s sexist? Joe Pinsker, writing in the Atlantic, reports a growing resistance to the common use of you guys—along with hey guys, and just plain guys—to address mixed groups of men and women, as well as single-sex groups of only women.
Towson University
webapps.towson.edu › ows › pronouns.htm
PRONOUNS
Plural: Singular with non-countables / Plural with countables: Indefinite pronouns use apostrophes to indicate possessive case. Some indefinite pronouns may also be used as determiners. one, each, either, neither, some, any, one, all, both, few, several, many, most ·
Grammarly
grammarly.com › blog › parts-of-speech › plural-nouns
Plural Nouns: Rules and Examples | Grammarly
January 16, 2025 - To be in subject-verb agreement, plural nouns acting as subjects of sentences or clauses need plural verbs, as in this example: The Fabelmans often visit national parks together. It’s also important to remember that when a noun is plural, any pronoun referring to it should also be plural: The Fabelmans often spend their vacation time together. Most nouns can be turned into plural nouns, including collective nouns, which represent groups: ... Here’s a tip: Want to make sure you’re using plural nouns correctly?
Teachtranslatetravelrepeat
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What is the plural of 'you' ? - Teach Translate Travel Repeat
August 27, 2025 - There are 5 forms in English, right? I, you, he/she, we, they? What about the plural of you? You? Yous? Youse? Y'all? What are these words?
Facebook
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What are the second person singular and plural pronouns ...
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Study.com
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Plural Pronouns | Types & Examples - Lesson | Study.com
May 4, 2018 - See plural pronouns examples in first, second and third person. Compare different types of pronouns: personal, possessive and object. ... Plural personal nouns fall into three categories: first person, second person and third person. The first person plural pronouns are we and us. The second person plural pronoun is you, and the third person plural pronouns are they and them.
Collins Dictionary
collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › english › you
YOU definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary
Its possessive is often you-all's rather than your. you-uns (from you + ones) is a South Midland form most often found in very informal and nonstandard speech; it is being replaced by you-all. youse (you + the plural -s ending of nouns), probably of Irish-American origin, is most common in the North, especially in urban centers like Boston, New York, and Chicago. It is not usually considered a standard form. You guys has become a common informal expression; it can include persons of both sexes or even a group of women only. See also me. Word origin [bef. 900; ME; OE ēow (dat., acc. of gē ye1); c. OFris ju, OS iu, D u, OHG iu, eu] These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content that does not reflect the opinions or policies of Collins, or its parent company HarperCollins.
Published March 26, 2018
Voice of America
learningenglish.voanews.com › a › different-areas-in-america-different-second-person-plural-pronouns › 5815521.html
Different Areas in America, Different Second-person Plural Pronouns
March 18, 2021 - So, a person could say “How are you?” to one person or to a group of people. In everyday speech, Americans sometimes use second-person plural pronouns that are not standard. These pronouns let the speaker show that they are speaking to several people. Now, let’s start with our trip. ... Pennsylvania is the first stop on our tour of the United States. Let’s listen to a man from the city of Pittsburgh. He is giving an example of how some people near there speak.
Promova
promova.com › confusing-words › you-singular-you-plural
You singular and You plural | Meaning, Examples & Difference | Promova
The second word, 'you plural', is a pronoun that refers to an audience. It is used as the plural form of the pronoun 'you' when referring to more than one person. For example, 'Y’all should come over for dinner.'