# How do you phrase the 2nd person plural **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 9, 2011, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-phrase-the-2nd-person-plural/605672 "2011-12-09T22:09:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Scathach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Scathach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scathach)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-phrase-the-2nd-person-plural/605672/1 "2011-12-09T22:09:23Z")
Question as in title really. And supplementary question - if you use “you” for both first and second person plural, does it make it awkward to phrase some questions? ---
**Author:** ![Scathach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Scathach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scathach)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-phrase-the-2nd-person-plural/605672/2 "2011-12-09T22:10:31Z")
Oh, and to answer my own poll - I say “ye” ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-phrase-the-2nd-person-plural/605672/3 "2011-12-09T22:12:07Z")
I say you guys ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-phrase-the-2nd-person-plural/605672/4 "2011-12-09T22:13:12Z")
Usually I just say “you.” When I have to make sure not to be ambiguous, I say “all of you.” “You all” or “y’all” is what hillbillies say. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-phrase-the-2nd-person-plural/605672/5 "2011-12-09T22:16:17Z")
> [@Scathach](#): > > Oh, and to answer my own poll - I say “ye” Art thou a time traveler? ---
**Author:** ![Scathach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Scathach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scathach)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-phrase-the-2nd-person-plural/605672/6 "2011-12-09T22:23:24Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > Art thou a time traveler? Nope, it’s common in Ireland. 🙂 (It’s another of those things that I only recently realised was not common in other places, like “bold” to mean naughty, and “grand” to mean ok) What’s embarrassing is I lived for about 5 months in Canada and never noticed this :o ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-phrase-the-2nd-person-plural/605672/7 "2011-12-09T22:26:05Z")
Except in communications with illogical Northerners, I say & write “y’all.” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Scathach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Scathach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scathach)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-phrase-the-2nd-person-plural/605672/8 "2011-12-09T22:29:06Z")
Oh, and the biggest surprise I ever had (language related) was that “to give out to” as a phrase pretty much only exists in Ireland as well. Like, don’t get me wrong, obviously I realise that there are different turns of phrase in every country. The thing is I thought I knew most of the ones that were restricted to my own locality, but it turns out there’s loads more that I didn’t even realise were unusual because they seem so natural. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-phrase-the-2nd-person-plural/605672/9 "2011-12-09T22:39:54Z")
A large number of people do not want to admit that they use _you guys_–when in fact they do. (Obama uses it at press conferences.) This poll will not reflect what people really say, because it’s self-reporting. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-phrase-the-2nd-person-plural/605672/10 "2011-12-09T22:58:06Z")
You. All of you if I want to emphasize. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Sensitive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/58956e/32.png) [@Darth\_Sensitive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Sensitive)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-phrase-the-2nd-person-plural/605672/11 "2011-12-09T23:03:58Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > “y’all” is what hillbillies say. Like hell it is. I have absolutely no hillbilly in me at all. Some redneck though Y’all. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-phrase-the-2nd-person-plural/605672/12 "2011-12-09T23:07:23Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > Usually I just say “you.” When I have to make sure not to be ambiguous, I say “all of you.” “You all” or “y’all” is what hillbillies say. Like hell it is, says this urban black. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-phrase-the-2nd-person-plural/605672/13 "2011-12-09T23:12:53Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > Usually I just say “you.” When I have to make sure not to be ambiguous, I say “all of you.” “You all” or “y’all” is what hillbillies say. I think you’re referring to [youins](http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=youins) Y’all is correct. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-phrase-the-2nd-person-plural/605672/14 "2011-12-09T23:18:06Z")
You guys, definitely. And I agree that people say “you guys” without knowing it. You guys all say ‘you guys’ and I know it! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-phrase-the-2nd-person-plural/605672/15 "2011-12-10T01:21:46Z")
Should’ve been able to pick multiple options… This Northerner uses y’all most of the time, but I’ve been known to use ‘you guys’ and other things too (which aren’t coming to mind at the moment.) ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-phrase-the-2nd-person-plural/605672/16 "2011-12-10T03:02:48Z")
> [@Scathach](#): > > Nope, it’s common in Ireland. 🙂 > > (It’s another of those things that I only recently realised was not common in other places, like “bold” to mean naughty, and “grand” to mean ok) > > What’s embarrassing is I lived for about 5 months in Canada and never noticed this :o In the part of Canada in which I reside, “Ye” is not uncommon. > [@Ponch8](#): > > Usually I just say “you.” When I have to make sure not to be ambiguous, I say “all of you.” “You all” or “y’all” is what hillbillies say. On the other hand, I grew up in the southern coastal plains, with the Atlantic at my doorstep. I say ‘y’all’, even when speaking to Canucks. ‘Hillbillies’ indeed, what an ignorant and provincial comment. ---
**Author:** ![Chipacabra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@Chipacabra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chipacabra)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-phrase-the-2nd-person-plural/605672/17 "2011-12-10T05:11:05Z")
You is already plural. The fact that we use it for the singular is what’s weird. ---
**Author:** ![6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/e19adc/32.png) [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-phrase-the-2nd-person-plural/605672/18 "2011-12-10T07:51:27Z")
I use “you” for both the singular and plural; though depending on the context will sometimes add “each” if addressing a group and it needs that kind of clarification. I await the “Culturally in Australia it’s you and youse” post. ---
**Author:** ![Blackberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blackberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackberry)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-phrase-the-2nd-person-plural/605672/19 "2011-12-10T07:59:00Z")
I don’t know what’s wrong with “you guys”. That’s what I say, or “you people” but you have to be careful with that one. ---
**Author:** ![pragmatic55](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc8723/32.png) [@pragmatic55](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pragmatic55)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-phrase-the-2nd-person-plural/605672/20 "2011-12-10T10:12:57Z")
It depends on the audience. Sometimes southern hospitality ‘you all’ is most proper. I say ‘you’ or if im afraid the meaning will be confused … ‘you guys’… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-phrase-the-2nd-person-plural/605672.md?page=2)