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 ExchangeLangeek
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.
Reddit
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
102
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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29
"you people" sounds potentially offensive so "you guys" seems to be the appropriate way of saying it
Videos
‘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
04:34
What is the plural of YOU in English? - YouTube
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
15:03
English Grammar: How to use 5 confusing indefinite pronouns - YouTube
12:26
How To Use ‘You’ - 2nd Person Plural For The Verb To Be In ...
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.
quillbot.com
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Is you singular or plural?
Is who a singular or plural pronoun?
Who can be a singular or plural subject pronoun. · Sometimes “who” represents one person (e.g., “The person who shares my office has a terrific sense of humor”). · “Who” can also represent two or more people (e.g., “The people who live across the street have a new puppy”). · If you’re unsure about when to use who in your writing, QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you choose the correct pronoun.
quillbot.com
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Is you singular or plural?
Is 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?
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.
QuillBot
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Is you singular or plural?
September 15, 2024 - If you’re talking to two or more people, “you” is plural (e.g., “You are all great students”). If you’re unsure about when to use you in your writing, QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you choose the correct pronoun.
Top answer 1 of 5
66
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.
2 of 5
19
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.
The English Bureau
theenglishbureau.com › home › how to know which form of you to use
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.
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.'
Scribbr
scribbr.com › home › is “you” singular or plural?
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
Verbling
verbling.com › articles › post › what-is-the-plural-of-you
What is the plural of 'you'? | Verbling
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 ...
Merriam-Webster
merriam-webster.com › dictionary › you
YOU Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
—used formerly only as a plural pronoun of the second person in the dative or accusative case as direct or indirect object of a verb or as object of a preposition compare thee, thou, ye, your, yours ...
Grammarly
grammarly.com › blog › parts-of-speech › plural-nouns
Plural Nouns: Rules and Examples | Grammarly
January 16, 2025 - Plural possessive: candies’ (Example: The candies’ flavors varied from sour to sweet.) To make a regular noun plural, you add -s or -es to the end, depending on the singular noun’s ending letter. Sometimes, letters of the singular form are changed to create the plural form, such as with half and its plural form, halves.
English Grammar Revolution
english-grammar-revolution.com › home › parts of speech › pronouns › history of "you"
Learn the History of the Pronoun You
The magician tricked you. you = Object · We use it as a singular pronoun and a plural pronoun.
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.
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.
ESLBUZZ
eslbuzz.com › plural-of-you
Plural of You: Different Forms of Addressing Multiple People - ESLBUZZ
October 23, 2023 - When referring to a single person, “you” is used as a second-person singular pronoun. For example, “You are doing a great job.” In this case, “you” refers to one individual.
The Free Dictionary
forum.thefreedictionary.com › postst166664_-You--singular-plural.aspx
“You” singular/plural - English Grammar - English - The Free Dictionary Language Forums
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Cambridge Dictionary
dictionary.cambridge.org › grammar › british-grammar › pronouns-personal-i-me-you-him-it-they-etc
Pronouns: personal ( I, me, you, him, it, they, etc.) - Cambridge Grammar
Personal pronouns show person and number. He, she, him and her show gender. They have different subject and object forms (except you, it and one which have only one form):
Langeek
langeek.co › home › grammar › you
How to use "You" in the English Grammar | LanGeek
1 week ago - You is used in exclamations, a structure for addressing a person or a group of people. For example: ... I hate you, you big idiot! In old English, there was a distinction between 'you singular' and 'you plural.'
Ginger Software
gingersoftware.com › content › grammar-rules › nouns › plural-nouns
English Grammar Rules - Plural Nouns
I can’t believe you let your dog stick his head out the window while you drive. The following sentences contain plural noun examples.