you

/ju/ (bre, ipa) · /jə/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈyü yə also yē/ (ame, mw)

you — pronoun

1. the word that stands for the person or group of people that the speaker is talki

1.代名詞A1
釋義

the word that stands for the person or group of people that the speaker is talking or writing to

例句

Ayesha told me that you enjoy hiking in the mountains near Taipei.

subject position: you + verb

I will call you when Takeshi and I arrive at the train station.

文法句型

you + verb

verb + you

preposition + you

常見錯誤

❌You all are welcome to come here.' (addressing one person).
✅You are welcome to come here.
💡Unlike Chinese which uses 你們 for plural, English 'you' is the same spelling for both singular and plural; context or phrases like 'you all' clarify quantity.
❌I want to thank you, sir. You is very kind.
✅I want to thank you, sir. You are very kind.
💡'You' always takes a plural verb (are/were/have), even when referring to one person, which differs from Chinese 你 + 是.

2. used to mean you together with your family, the people you live with, or your cl

2.代名詞A2
釋義

used to mean you together with your family, the people you live with, or your close circle

例句

Rachid invited you and your whole family to his wedding next month.

you and your whole family

The cottage has beds for your parents, your sister, your cousins, and you.

文法句型

you and your + [family/household/team]

all of you

you all

用法筆記

In this sense, 'you' refers to a group that includes the person being addressed plus the people closest to them. The exact group boundary depends on context — it could be family, housemates, or a close team. Phrases like 'you and your family' or 'you all' make the inclusive meaning explicit.

3. used to talk about people in general or about anyone in a particular situation,

3.代名詞A2
釋義

used to talk about people in general or about anyone in a particular situation, without referring to any one specific person

例句

You need to show your passport when you enter a new country.

generic you = people in general

You never know what the weather will be like in spring in Taipei.

同義詞
  • one

    more formal and distant; used in formal writing and upper-register speech

  • people

    plural, slightly more specific; sounds less personal than 'you'

  • anyone

    emphasises every individual member of a group rather than people as a whole

文法句型

you + modal + verb

you can/cannot

you must/need to

you should

用法筆記

This generic 'you' is common in everyday English but much rarer in formal or academic writing, where 'one', 'people', or a passive structure is preferred. In Chinese, this sense is often expressed without an explicit subject (e.g., 要出示護照) or with 大家, 誰, or 人 rather than a direct equivalent of 你. Learners tend to over-translate generic 'you' as 你 in Chinese, which can sound unnatural in some contexts — dropping the subject or using 大家 often sounds more like native Mandarin.

常見錯誤

❌You should arrive ten minutes early for an interview.' (in an academic essay).
✅One should arrive ten minutes early for an interview.
💡In formal English writing, 'one' replaces generic 'you' for a more objective tone.