you guys

English

Pronunciation

• (stressed)
  • (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈju ˌɡaɪz/
• (unstressed)
  • (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈju ˌɡaɪz/, /ˌju ˈɡaɪz/
• (in vocative expressions)
  • (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌju ˈɡaɪz/

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Pronoun

you guys

1. (colloquial, in the plural) You.

   Hey you guys!

Usage notes

• The term guy is generally restricted to males, as in Was that a guy or a girl?, but the form you guys may be used for groups of any combination of genders whether it is all male, all female or any combination.
• Some speakers don't perceive this form as gender-neutral and thus avoid it.
• Unlike y'all or the French vous, you guys is typically used only as an identifier, meaning it is said only once in a short conversation, and thereafter you is used. This is due to Modern English's lack of differentiation between singular and plural "you". For example:

  I'm going to be on the outside basketball court at noon if you guys want to practice. You should bring some water because it's going to be hot.

• Generally the standard your is used as the possessive. However, possessive forms like you guys' and you guys's are also used; your guys's (with a change of you to your) is nonstandard, limited to colloquial or dialectal speech.

Alternative forms

Also constructed with alternative forms of plural you:

• yous guys
• youse guys
• youze guys

Synonyms

• see the list of other second-person pronouns in you

See also

• you gals
• yinz