You: Meaning, Pronunciation, and Usage

Meaning 1：the person being addressed (you)

you 🔊

/juː/

pron.

The word used when talking directly to another person.

the person being addressed 🔊

➕

/ðə ˈpɜːrsən ˈbiːɪŋ əˈdrest/

pron.

Used to refer to the person or people being spoken or written to, functioning as the second-person pronoun.

📁 Category：Language Evolution 🔖 Level：beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Old English 'ēow', from Proto-Germanic *jūz, originally accusative/dative of 'ye'.

💡 Mnemonic

Think of 'U' as the letter pointing to the other person directly—'U' = you.

📖 Example

Excuse me, can you tell me how to get to the library? 🔊 Excuse me, can you tell me how to get to the library?

🔗 Collocations

thank you – a polite expression of gratitude

you know – used to introduce or emphasize something

you're welcome – a polite response to thanks

🔄 Synonyms

thou (pron.) – archaic second-person singular pronoun

ye (pron.) – archaic or dialectal second-person plural pronoun

y'all (pron.) – dialectal second-person plural pronoun, common in Southern US English

🚫 Antonyms

I (pron.) – first-person singular pronoun

they (pron.) – third-person plural pronoun

🌱 Derivatives

your (adj.) – belonging to the person being addressed

yours (pron.) – belonging to the person being addressed

yourself (pron.) – reflexive form of you (singular)

📖 Cultural Story

Derived from Proto-Germanic *jūz, 'you' gradually replaced 'ye' (nominative) and 'thou' (singular) in Early Modern English, becoming the universal second-person pronoun by the 17th century.