You in Different Languages
Discover 'You' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'you' is a small but powerful term, serving as the second person pronoun in the English language. It signifies the person or people being addressed, and its usage is prevalent in our daily conversations and interactions. The cultural importance of 'you' is evident across the globe, as it bridges the gap between individuals, fostering communication and connection.
Moreover, understanding the translation of 'you' in different languages can be a captivating exploration of cultural diversity and linguistic nuances. For instance, the Spanish translation is 'tú' or 'usted', depending on the level of formality, while in Japanese, it is 'あなた' (anata). In German, it is 'du' or 'Sie', reflecting the same formality distinction as in Spanish.
Delving into the world of language and culture, one might want to learn the translations of 'you' to enhance their cross-cultural communication skills, establish meaningful connections with people from various linguistic backgrounds, or simply satisfy their curiosity about the world's rich linguistic landscape.
Join us as we embark on this journey, discovering the translations of 'you' in a diverse range of languages, from commonly spoken ones like Mandarin, Hindi, and Arabic, to lesser-known languages such as Basque and Maori.
You
You in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | jy | ||
| "Jy" in Afrikaans can also mean "I" in some informal contexts. | |||
| Amharic | አንቺ | ||
| The word "አንቺ" can refer to either a singular feminine subject or a plural subject of mixed gender. | |||
| Hausa | kai | ||
| The word "kai" can also mean "indeed" or "very" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | gị | ||
| Igbo word "gị" can also mean "yourself" or "oneself" depending on the context. | |||
| Malagasy | ianareo | ||
| The word "ianareo" in Malagasy also means "yourself" or "person addressed" | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | inu | ||
| Shona | iwe | ||
| The Shona word "iwe" is also used to address close friends or family members, and to express intimacy or respect. | |||
| Somali | adiga | ||
| The word | |||
| Sesotho | uena | ||
| 'Uēna' derives from a verb meaning 'to hear', indicating the subject as the recipient. | |||
| Swahili | wewe | ||
| The word "wewe" may also refer to "yourself" or "the person being addressed" depending on the context. | |||
| Xhosa | wena | ||
| The word "wena" in Xhosa can also mean "you" in a more formal or respectful context. | |||
| Yoruba | ìwọ | ||
| The Yoruba word 'ìwọ' also means 'soul' or 'ghost' and is a pronoun that may be used in both the singular and plural form. | |||
| Zulu | wena | ||
| The word "wena" is commonly used in informal settings and can also mean "my friend" or "comrade". | |||
| Bambara | i | ||
| Ewe | wò | ||
| Kinyarwanda | wowe | ||
| Lingala | yo | ||
| Luganda | ggwe | ||
| Sepedi | wena | ||
| Twi (Akan) | wo | ||
You in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | أنت | ||
| In the Quran, “أنت” can also refer to God or angels addressing the Prophet Muhammad or other prophets and believers. | |||
| Hebrew | אתה | ||
| The word 'אתה' ('you') in Hebrew is also the second-person singular masculine form of the verb 'to be' ('היית,' 'אתה,' and 'תהיי') | |||
| Pashto | تاسو | ||
| "تاسو" which means "you" in Pashto, comes from the Proto-Indo-Aryan word "*tuH\*m". | |||
| Arabic | أنت | ||
| In the Quran, “أنت” can also refer to God or angels addressing the Prophet Muhammad or other prophets and believers. | |||
You in Western European Languages
| Albanian | ti | ||
| Ti' is also used as a reflexive pronoun, meaning 'yourself'. | |||
| Basque | zuk | ||
| Basque 'zuk' derives from Proto-Basque *hik 'this one, he/she', a pronoun also found in Proto-Kartvelian | |||
| Catalan | vostè | ||
| "Vostè" is the formal way to say "you" in Catalan and comes from the Latin word "vos", which was used to address people of higher social status. | |||
| Croatian | vas | ||
| This word is derived from Proto-Slavic *tъ, but it can also refer to a blood vessel or a type of plant. | |||
| Danish | du | ||
| The word "du" in Danish originates from the Old Norse word "þú", meaning "you (singular informal)" or "thou". | |||
| Dutch | u | ||
| In Dutch, the word "u" can also be used as a formal form of address, similar to the English "you" when capitalized. | |||
| English | you | ||
| The singular second person pronoun | |||
| French | toi | ||
| The French word 'toi' also means 'poison' in Old French and 'thine' in English. | |||
| Frisian | jo | ||
| The Frisian word "jo" for "you" is cognate with the English word "thou," an archaic second-person singular pronoun. | |||
| Galician | ti | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning as "you," "ti" can also mean "to you" or "for you" in Galician. | |||
| German | sie | ||
| The singular form of "Sie" in German is also used as a polite form of address, much like "vous" in French. | |||
| Icelandic | þú | ||
| Þú derives from the Proto-Germanic word "þū", which originally meant "to swell" but later shifted to "you". | |||
| Irish | tú | ||
| The word 'tú' in Irish can also mean 'thou' or 'you' in a formal or respectful context. | |||
| Italian | tu | ||
| In Italian, the word “tu” can signify a singular or plural second person, and can have a formal or informal connotation depending on context. | |||
| Luxembourgish | dir | ||
| The word "Dir" in Luxembourgish can also refer to a "you" in the general sense, as in "everyone" or "people". | |||
| Maltese | int | ||
| Maltese 'int' shares roots with 'anata' in Japanese. | |||
| Norwegian | du | ||
| The word 'du' can also be used to refer to a loved one or close friend. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | vocês | ||
| "Vocês" is sometimes used in Portugal when speaking to someone of higher social status. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | thu | ||
| Originally the term was used for all persons, but by the 17th century it had come to mean only 'you' when addressing a superior. | |||
| Spanish | tú | ||
| The word "tú" in Spanish has its origins in the Latin word "tu," which means "you" as a singular and familiar form of address. In Spanish, "tú" is used in informal settings or when addressing someone with whom you have a close relationship. | |||
| Swedish | du | ||
| In some parts of Sweden, 'du' can also refer to a close friend or a child. In the South of Sweden, 'ni' is used as a formal or polite way of addressing someone. | |||
| Welsh | ti | ||
| "Ti" can be a plural form of the second person pronoun, meaning "you" in Welsh, or it can be a feminine singular form, referring to a woman. | |||
You in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | вы | ||
| The word "вы" has the same meaning as "ты" but is considered more formal. | |||
| Bosnian | ti | ||
| The word "ti" can also be used as a possessive adjective meaning "your". | |||
| Bulgarian | ти | ||
| The polite Bulgarian second-person singular pronoun "Вие" (Vie), has a common root with "Вий" (Viy) - a mythical creature and a character from Slavic folklore. | |||
| Czech | vy | ||
| The Czech word "vy" can also be used to address more than one person formally or when showing respect. | |||
| Estonian | sina | ||
| The word "sina" can also refer to someone who is respected or admired. | |||
| Finnish | sinä | ||
| Sinä derives from PIE *tü, meaning both "you (sg.)" and "this". | |||
| Hungarian | te | ||
| The Hungarian word "te" is cognate with the Proto-Uralic word *tä (and ultimately with the Proto-Indo-European word *tu), which also appears in Finnish (sinä) and Estonian (sina). | |||
| Latvian | jūs | ||
| The word "jūs" in Latvian also has the additional nuance of politeness or respect, which is not present in the English word "you". | |||
| Lithuanian | tu | ||
| The word "tu" in Lithuanian is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*tewe/*twe", meaning "you" or "thee". | |||
| Macedonian | ти | ||
| The Macedonian word "ти" can also refer to "self" or "oneself" in certain contexts. | |||
| Polish | ty | ||
| The Polish word "ty" can also be an abbreviation of "towarzyszu" ("comrade"). | |||
| Romanian | tu | ||
| In Romanian, "tu" derives from Latin "tu" and is also used as an informal second person singular pronoun in French and Italian. | |||
| Russian | ты | ||
| The word | |||
| Serbian | ти | ||
| "Ти" is sometimes used as a short form of the term "тишина" (silence) | |||
| Slovak | ty | ||
| Slovak "ty" derives from Proto-Slavic "ty", but also means "these" in the dual form. | |||
| Slovenian | ti | ||
| The word | |||
| Ukrainian | ви | ||
| In Ukrainian, "ви" can be either a plural form of the subject pronoun "ти" or a polite form of address used to show respect to an individual or group. | |||
You in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | আপনি | ||
| The word "আপনি" in Bengali is derived from the Sanskrit word "आपण" (āpana), meaning "self" or "one's own". | |||
| Gujarati | તમે | ||
| The word "તમે" in Gujarati can also mean "respect" or "esteem". | |||
| Hindi | आप | ||
| The word "आप" (aap) in Hindi is also used as a formal second-person pronoun, similar to "vous" in French. | |||
| Kannada | ನೀವು | ||
| The word "ನೀವು" can also be used as a term of affection, similar to the English "darling" or "honey". | |||
| Malayalam | നിങ്ങൾ | ||
| നിങ്ങൾ can also be used as an respectful term to refer to a single person | |||
| Marathi | आपण | ||
| "आपण" can in some contexts also refer to the first person plural, i.e. "we." | |||
| Nepali | तपाईं | ||
| 'तपाईं' is the formal version of 'तिमी', and is typically used when speaking to an elder or superior. | |||
| Punjabi | ਤੁਸੀਂ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ඔයා | ||
| The word 'ඔයා' ('you') in Sinhala has its origins in the Dravidian language, where it signifies respect and intimacy. | |||
| Tamil | நீங்கள் | ||
| The Tamil word "நீங்கள்" can also be used as a polite form of address, similar to the English "you". | |||
| Telugu | మీరు | ||
| The word "మీరు" can also refer to someone who is superior or a respected elder. | |||
| Urdu | تم | ||
| The word "تم" in Urdu can also mean "you all" or "yourselves". | |||
You in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 您 | ||
| The character "您" was originally a polite way to address a superior, but is now used as the standard second-person pronoun in Mandarin Chinese. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 您 | ||
| "您" means "you" but in more formal settings. | |||
| Japanese | 君は | ||
| The word "君は" can also be used to address a superior or someone who is respected. | |||
| Korean | 당신 | ||
| 당신 is a more formal and polite way to address someone in Korean, and can also mean "lord" or "master" depending on the context. | |||
| Mongolian | та | ||
| The term "Та" can also refer to a pronoun meaning "this" or "that". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | မင်း | ||
| "မင်း" can also mean "king" or "lord" in formal or historical contexts. | |||
You in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kamu | ||
| The word "kamu" can have different meanings depending on the context, including "you" (informal), "thou," or "thee" | |||
| Javanese | sampeyan | ||
| The Javanese word "sampeyan" is also used to address people of high rank or those who are respected. | |||
| Khmer | អ្នក | ||
| The word “អ្នក” can also be a polite prefix when one addresses a person, a speaker, or a writer who is not present, like one's readers or audience. | |||
| Lao | ເຈົ້າ | ||
| ເຈົ້າ also means 'owner' or 'master' and is often used to address a superior or someone who is respected. | |||
| Malay | awak | ||
| The Malay word "awak" has alternative meanings that can refer to the "body" or "self"} | |||
| Thai | คุณ | ||
| While "คุณ" is the most used second-person singular pronoun in modern Thai, "ท่าน" is the most common in formal settings, and "เธอ" is common in informal settings and between close family members or friends. | |||
| Vietnamese | bạn | ||
| The word "bạn" in Vietnamese can also mean "friend" or "companion", and is derived from the Chinese word "伴" which has the same meaning. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ikaw | ||
You in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | sən | ||
| The Azerbaijani word | |||
| Kazakh | сен | ||
| The Kazakh word "сен" can also refer to a "person" or an "individual". | |||
| Kyrgyz | сен | ||
| "Сен" has a different meaning when used at the end of a sentence. For example, "Бардынбы? Сен" means "Is it yours? I think so." | |||
| Tajik | шумо | ||
| The Tajik word "шумо" also means "your" and is derived from the Persian word "شما". | |||
| Turkmen | sen | ||
| Uzbek | siz | ||
| Siz, the Uzbek word for "you," is derived from the Old Turkic word "siz" meaning "all," and is also used as a polite form of address for elders and superiors. | |||
| Uyghur | سىز | ||
You in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻo ʻoe | ||
| 'Ō 'oe' also refers to the taro plant, or its edible corm. | |||
| Maori | koe | ||
| The Māori word "koe" is a familiar singular second person pronoun, meaning "you," but it also can be used as a possessive pronoun meaning "your" or "yours." | |||
| Samoan | oe | ||
| 'Oe' is used in more formal or respectful situations than the more common 'outou'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | ikaw | ||
| "Ikaw" is derived from Old Tagalog "ika," which refers to a non-kingly noble, or from the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian word *i-ka,* which is a reflexive marker meaning "yourself." | |||
You in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | juma | ||
| Guarani | nde | ||
You in International Languages
| Esperanto | vi | ||
| Vi is also used in Esperanto to mean "we" in the inclusive sense, including the speaker. | |||
| Latin | vos | ||
| In Latin, "vos" can be used as the second person plural nominative, or as the second person singular or plural accusative. | |||
You in Others Languages
| Greek | εσείς | ||
| The word εσείς derives from the Doric Greek plural form of the demonstrative pronoun ἧς, ἧ (hês, hê), which means 'this' or 'this one'. | |||
| Hmong | koj | ||
| The Proto-Hmong-Mien word koɣ for "you" is also used in some dialects to address a second person that is significantly older than the speaker. | |||
| Kurdish | hûn | ||
| In Kurdish, 'hûn' originates from 'tûn', which also means 'you' or 'your' and is still used in some dialects. | |||
| Turkish | sen | ||
| The word "sen" has multiple origins, with some linguists suggesting it derives from the Proto-Turkic word "sen", meaning "self", while others propose it may have originated from the Persian word "šan", meaning "rank" or "honour." | |||
| Xhosa | wena | ||
| The word "wena" in Xhosa can also mean "you" in a more formal or respectful context. | |||
| Yiddish | דו | ||
| The Yiddish word "דו" has an alternate interpretation of "you (fem.)", derived from the Hebrew "את," a word used to address women. | |||
| Zulu | wena | ||
| The word "wena" is commonly used in informal settings and can also mean "my friend" or "comrade". | |||
| Assamese | আপুনি | ||
| Aymara | juma | ||
| Bhojpuri | रऊवाॅं | ||
| Dhivehi | ތިބާ | ||
| Dogri | तूं | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ikaw | ||
| Guarani | nde | ||
| Ilocano | sika | ||
| Krio | yu | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | تۆ | ||
| Maithili | अहां | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯗꯣꯝ | ||
| Mizo | nangmah | ||
| Oromo | ati | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ତୁମେ | ||
| Quechua | qam | ||
| Sanskrit | त्वम् | ||
| Tatar | син | ||
| Tigrinya | ንስኻ | ||
| Tsonga | wena | ||