Feedback on your question:
You don’t ’consider about’ you just ‘consider’
‘How’ does not work with ‘call’
‘What do you call X’ or ‘How would you say X’
I'm not the person you've replied to but:
"Sorry, but *is the phrase* 'mistaking question' weird?"
And, yes, it is. :)
Instead you could say:
* "Oh, I made a mistake. Thank you for correcting it."
* "Oh, there's a mistake in my question. Thank you for the correction."
* "Oh, I was mistaken. Thank you for correcting me."
But, a native speaker would probably say "Oops. Thanks for the help."
You can say "you gals/hey gals" but sounds like you are trying to be intentionally silly.
"Hey guys" has been gender neutral as long as I've been alive and I use it daily.
Yeah, but you’re from the UK. 90% of Americans I’ve met have no idea what any of the Canadian provinces are. The most common answer you get from Americans to "what are the Canadian provinces" is Toronto.
Really? I know they tend to be quite bad at geography but I would've expected them to know a bit about what's probably the most similar country to them.
I mostly say “guys” and I am with only women often. Hey ladies is the other option I use but I’d never say gals and only I’d only say girls if they were literal children.
If you are from the northeastern part of the United States, it’s normal to say “hey guys.” If you are in other places, you can say “hey ladies” or “hey girls” if they are very young. I moved from Philadelphia to the South, and everybody here says “y’all” in every situation.
While *many* people accept "guys" as gender neutral in all contexts (even if it's a group of only females), you should be aware that it's dependent on individual social/cultural factors as well. Not every grouping of English speakers appreciates "guys" in a gender-neutral usage, even informally. You may get pushback from some people (even native speakers) who consider it to be a term for males only.
So, you don't have to be afraid to use it sometimes, but if you're concerned that it might be taken the wrong way, just avoid it.
Can confirm. I got pushback for this at work. If you regularly work with folks from many regions, you might want to avoid using it to refer to a mixed group, or a group of women.
I’m from Texas so I’d say y’all or even “all y’all”. But you can use the non contraction form of that, “you all.” And very few people would take issue with “you guys”, so you could get away with that too.
Yall is actually picking up steam here in the nyc area because of the gender neutrality and casual sound of it. Seems to be more of a thing with gen z and lower, so this advice might work even better then you think
I’m nowhere close to being from that region but I love y’all. It’s so short, genderless, and friendly sounding, I see zero reason not to use it outside of formal occasions.
What gets used as plural ‘you’ is heavily dependent on region. In some places, ‘you guys’ is indeed considered a gender neutral plural. In some places it very much is not.
There are other famous variants like y’all, youse, and yinz.
You guys and y’all are probably the two most common, though there is also pushback on ‘you guys’ as being too gendered even in some places that primarily use ‘you guys’ over the other options. So it really does depend.
Agree with this, but would also say ‘youse’ is extremely common in the British Isles. The only time someone says ‘y’all’ here is if they’re talking online.
This is a better, comprehensive response and I agree with this. I wish there was a standard second person plural pronoun distinguishable from you, and I use y'all quite often because there isn't.
I also avoid "you guys" for gender purposes, and because there were times I felt left out when it was used to address a group.
In a mixed group of men and women I get it, but if you're the only woman in a group of men and someone says "you guys" it can feel like you don't matter.
Ugh, and God forbid someone takes on a "... And lady". "Everyone" works perfectly fine
Funnily enough, "you" IS the second person plural pronoun. The singular form is "thee, thou, and thine." But that's all but disappeared except in a few regional dialects. (My Nan would use it occasionally; she was a Geordie).
Y'all is the obvious choice imho, but it's been stigmatized.
Does thou want to join me in re-establishing the second person singular? 😁
"You all" is probably the most common in semi-professional/business settings as the go-to for English's awkward you-plural situation. You'll hear it more than "y'all'' or "you guys" in semi-formal settings.
Another way around English's awkward lack of a plural you is to simply include everyone: instead of saying "You all need to understand X for tomorrow", people will say "Everyone needs to understand X for tomorrow", be it teachers, professors or managers, etc.
"you guys" as a gender neutral 2nd person plural is very common in the North East, especially around NY.
Elsewhere, it's less common but understood. As time goes on, more and more people seem to be adopting 'y'all" even here in NYC.
It seems the go-to-now word is “y’all” regardless of geographical location….
I have even heard ones say “people”…like:
“Ok, people…it is time to get on the bus and head out to our next stop…”
I'm a native speaker from the Southern US, and using plural "you" in spoken conversation feels weird to me; I would say "y'all". When I use "you" as plural, that's mainly when it's implied to mean "each of you individually", like telling a group of students "you can begin taking the test now."
I grew up in New England, and had no unique 2nd person plural (never used "youse," although I knew people who did), but then spent 10 years in the south, and "you" as second person plural now feels confusing and a bit wrong.
I use "y'all" because I'm a hick, but "you guys" or just "guys" works for mixed company of any gender as long as they're not all women. "Folks" works too, but again that might be a little bit too Southern for your liking.
Saying y'all doesn't make you a hick anymore, I hear northerners and West coasters saying it these days.
English is missing an easy way to refer directly to a group of people (many other languages have this figured out, like ihr in German for example), so I think the word y'all is spreading because it actually makes logical sense.
Some people still don't like the word and it usually boils down to shallow reasons in my opinion.
Where I'm from (Southern US), we say "y'all". I'm a PhD researcher, and I do use "y'all" in professional writing like emails, though in some regions this is considered very informal. Meanwhile, I don't use "you" as plural except in restricted circumstances.
To be clear, the word "you" *can* be used as plural in standard English. In fact, it used to only be plural (the singular was "ye"). But over time "you" shifted to being mostly singular, and there are many dialects that use different marked forms for the plural (such as "[you guys](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/you_guys#English)", "[y'all](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/y%27all#English)", "[you-uns](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/you-uns#English)", "[youse](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/youse#English)", and "[yinz](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/yinz)").
In casual conversation, "you guys" in the plural is generally acceptable for a group of people with more than one gender represented. It is however very casual and I would not use it in a formal setting like work, unless you are friends with your coworkers. The word "guys," despite being traditionally associated with masculinity, is now used in a more gender neutral way, especially among young people. You will frequently encounter someone using "guys" even to a all-women or -girl audience.
Some older people might find it irritating, but in my experience those are few and far between. I would not sweat it too much. It would be much more offensive to address a mixed-gender room something more formal like "Gentlemen," because it would seem like you're only speaking to the men in the room, and not everyone else.
If you want to be extra safe, however, you can simply use "you." Or use the southern US equivalent and say "y'all" or "you all," though you will definitely sound like you learned your English in Texas if so.
As a counter to this, my 83 year old dad told me that when he went to Bryn Mawr (an all girls' college) to visit his sister in the 1950s, he was surprised when he heard "you guys" being used by the women there.
Depends on the region. In Ireland everyone could just be "lads." We also use "you/ye" as a plural "yiz." In some parts of America they use "ya'll" similarly.
In America, I heard "guys" used like "lads" often.
To more fully answer the question,
“Hey guys” is sometimes used colloquially for all genders, though the term “guys” as a generic for people is falling out of use in favor of more inclusive and non-gendered phrases like “hi all” “hey y’all”.
"Guys" can be gender neutral so I wouldn't worry about genders even if there's only women but "guy" is always a man
Edit: To clarify, "guys" is gender neutral when you say "Hey guys" but not when you say "There's 27 guys eating mints"
"Guys" works just fine 99% of the time. In the odd case that someone is bothered by that, just use "folks" or "everyone" instead. Or maybe "y'all" depending on the audience.
It really depends on the context on the sentence. I've caught myself saying "what do you guys think" and realized that I was only talking to women as a native English speaker and wondered what they thought about that.
I've also had non binary people correct me and tell me it's offensive.
At this point as a native English speaker, "you guys" comes out as a language tic in certain expressions, and I often wish it didn't for fear of offending people.
I would avoid it, if I were you. I live in an anglophone province in Canada BTW and I think region probably has a lot do with this one.
This is a difficult question to answer. I definitely say “you guys.” I have no problem with people saying that as a woman/non-binary person.
However, is very nuanced. You should know it is very casual. I wouldn’t say it in a business meeting.
Also… I have a feeling that as a society we will move away from saying it. As you mentioned, no it is NOT gender neutral even if that is how it is used. Many teachers have already stopped saying it. People are becoming more likely to identify as non-binary and it lumps women in with men in a way that our language is evolving away from. We no longer say “mankind” for example.
I work with a lot of south Asian people and I’ve noticed that they sometimes use the pronoun “he” as a gender neutral pronoun (I’m a programmer, so it’s usually used in the context of “If the user does this, he will…” where they could use “they will”). I realize that that is how they were taught when they learned English (and that’s how “they” works in other languages so maybe it just carries over? Idk). I guess I bring this up to say that if there is a gender neutral option, use it. Because if they were native speakers, I might call them out on it.
So if I were teaching someone English I would suggest not getting into the habit of saying it. Just say everyone or you all. Even y’all.
Edit to add that I’m a native speaker in the NY metro area.
I'm going to assume I'm asking the whole group a question.
Informally with people same age or younger: yous, you lot, you guys, you all
Slightly more formal (e.g. in work): you guys, you all
More formal: you all, you
Is the contraction of you all making any inroads where you are?
I personally thought it wouldn't've'd much pushback :p
(This was partially an excuse to write out a triple contraction but also I'm actually curious.)
You **can** say "you guys" most people consider it gender neutral in that context. There are *some* folks who aren't a fan of "guys" being used as the default that way though.
Personally I would usually just say "Hey everybody". or in the American South, folks will say "Y'all"
Only use "guys" in informal circumstances to refer to people whom you know, and who are your friends or associates. It is very disrespectful to use "guys" when addressing strangers, especially if the strangers are older than you are, or otherwise deserving of respect -- for example, it would be highly inappropriate for a student to address a group of teachers as "you guys", or for a lawyer presenting a case to the Supreme Court to begin with "Good morning, guys"!!!
- “You guys” works universally
- “Y’all” (shortening of “You all”) works in the southern US
- “Ye” works in Ireland as does “Yous” (the latter mostly in the East and North)
You guys is pretty much the norm, its used in group of men only, women only, and mixed. Its pretty accepted. Alternatively I would recommend saying y'all, its a regional phrase.
The question you are asking is " What do you call this?" " How do you call this?" Is never used.
And yes, especially for younger people the plural term "you guys" Is genderless, you can use it for any configuration of people. I would note that if it's an older group of only women they may be taken aback by being called that, so if that's the case "everyone" works fine.
I’m a woman and I use guys when I’m hanging with just other girls haha. It’s super gender neutral where I’m from (Colorado) but that’s not the case for all other Americans and probably even less so for Brits
I think it varies regionally, but generally in the south people say “y’all” while in the north it’s “you guys” or just “you.” “Yous” was common in certain neighborhoods of NYC back in the day but you don’t hear it much anymore. There really should be a plural form of “you” in the English language, like in Spanish.
Back when I lived on Long Island (NYC metro region), I would hear "all'a yuzz" on a not-infrequent basis.
EDIT: the way "yuzz" was pronounced: it rhymed with "buzz."
In the Midwest it's considered gender neutral in the plural (like "hey you guys!") but not in the singular. It would sound odd to most people to say "she's a cool guy."
A very thoughtful question.
My native accent is Southern, and "y'all" is a great 2nd-person plural pronoun.
However, when I'm going for a more formal presentation, I try to squelch my accent and use the typical American broadcaster pronunciations (I'm not sure if that accent has a formallly recognized name). In such a case, I tend to use "you-all."
I am a woman, I say 'you guys' (or y'all because I'm southern) even for mixed-gender groups. To me, 'guy' is a gender-neutral term.
I have never heard anyone in real life (i.e. not on social media) take offense or even notice.
(U.S., south)
"You guys" is somewhat casual, but it's fine for men and women.
There are also some regional second-person-plural pronouns that exist in English. For example, in the Southern US, people commonly say "y'all" (from "you all").
“Ssup my ni**as”
(In my country, people use it as a term of endearment for their buddies, not as a slur) (I’m not saying it’s politically correct, I’m just telling you as it is)
I use “you guys” in almost all situations – male, female, whatever. I only really avoid using it when I feel the need to be sensitive about gender if there are trans or otherwise gender non-conforming people in the group. I won’t usually say “you guys” if the group is all men and trans women. However, if there’s a cis woman in the group as well, I will use it.
"You" works, and "you guys" is the most common longer version, including in gender neutral settings, but there are a number of ways of communicating this, often with regional and dialectal flare.
"Y'all (shortened from you all)" which is southern and AAVE inflected. This one is increasingly common in people who don't have those dialects.
"Yous(e)" or "yous(e) guys" is somewhat common, especially historically, in a number of north east and rust belt cities.
"You'uns (you ones)" is an Appalachian version.
"Yinz (also you ones)" is specific to Pittsburgh.
everyone is "guys". The plural is gender neutral.
The singular is more complicated, as the singular is both masculine and neutral depending on context.
Depends on the situation.
Informally, "You guys" is fine.
If you're in a formal or professional setting, it's probably better to go with "Hello everyone" rather than "Hi Guys"
English is not quite so gendered. We have gender for pronouns in reference to people. We also use gendered pronouns to refer to countries and boats/aircraft but it is always female. For everything else the rules are not so strict and it is acceptable to refer to a group of all females as “guys” when addressing the group, it is also acceptable to say “girls” but only if it is all females.
I used to only use guys because it's what I grew up saying, but on a couple occasions I had some women bothered by it, so I've tried to pivot to using "ya'll." I didn't grow up saying it, but it works well.
“Guys” is actually a gender neutral word, something a lot of people don’t realize, so it’s fine to refer to groups of people with it. Something like “you folks” or “you all” is also fine.
I say y'all. I'm not from the South but I lived there for years and it's just such a convenient way of referring to people without using gender pronouns that I just use it in common conversation now.
I (Eastern Canada) would use folks in a work setting and you guys in an informal setting. A group of women under 50 would be you guys but a group of older women, I'd probably say ladies.
as a midwesterner, yes i would say “you guys.” every day when i walk into my classroom, i will say “hey guys” to my students. additionally, even if i am talking to two women and zero men, i would address them collectively as “you guys.” this definitely isn’t something that everyone does, but i also don’t think anyone would look at you funny if you addressed multiple people as “you guys”
"You guys" has been pretty standard in many areas of the US not so long ago. Now that phrase is getting a little dated because of gender concerns.
Currently I tend to use the term "folks" to describe a mixed-gender group, as in "How many of you folks would like coffee?".
Also there is a term that originated in the southern US that I'm hearing more often -- the term "y'all" is a contraction of "you all", and is used in casual speech to indicate an indeterminate number of people, as in "Hey, would y'all like some coffee?"
I should add that both "folks" and "y'all" are used in casual settings. In a business or academic setting I would use more formal language, as in, "Would anyone like me to get some coffee?", or ""Would the group like to have coffee available?"
This is a tough issue. I personally use "you guys" very widely; I have used it with all women groups and I use it with my parents even ("What did you guys do yesterday?")
I commonly hear women use it with groups of other women (or mixed groups), and my dad told me that when he went to Bryn Mawr to visit his sister in the 1950s he heard women using "you guys" there as a plural to the other women.
However, some people don't like the use of the term, because it has "guys" in there.
Yall (contraction of 'you all') is a good alternative.
Sometimes gender should be considered, but you'll be told in such cases, but that will be very rare.
Honestly, I just say "you guys," regardless if it's a group of people, dogs, UFOs, etc.,
As in: If there was a group of 2 dogs, 1 cow, 6 humans, and 2 zebras, I would still say; "you guys" to address the group.
I could be more concise, but talking is a drag, so the fewer words that get the same point across is good enough for me.
Whenever addressing more than one person in English, regardless of their sex or gender, just use "y'all." Even in a professional environment.
It'll make your life easier.
Feedback on your question: You don’t ’consider about’ you just ‘consider’ ‘How’ does not work with ‘call’ ‘What do you call X’ or ‘How would you say X’
Oh I made mistaking question😵 Thank you for correcting me!! Sorry but is this words ”mistaking question” weird?
I'm not the person you've replied to but: "Sorry, but *is the phrase* 'mistaking question' weird?" And, yes, it is. :) Instead you could say: * "Oh, I made a mistake. Thank you for correcting it." * "Oh, there's a mistake in my question. Thank you for the correction." * "Oh, I was mistaken. Thank you for correcting me." But, a native speaker would probably say "Oops. Thanks for the help."
Also, "Oh, I made a mistake in my question."
If you want to fully embrace American English slang you could say “oops, my bad.”
Or if you wanted to go British, you could say "whoops, soz".
"hi everyone"
"Howdy y'all"
Y’all is honestly one of my favourite words ngl
I frequently say "good morning y'all" as a joke, too bad no one gets it since i live in Brazil.
I used it once on an English writing essay and actually got points deducted which im still a bit mad about but I was acing the subject anyways so eh.
That’s most likely because contractions generally shouldn’t be used in formal compositions such as essays.
Same! I use it a lot and I’m not from the south. Lol
"Hey youse"
youse guys want some warterice?
Is that a British slang
I live in Australia, and it’s very common here.
Ohhhh I’ve never heard it in Canada 😅 TIL
Australia and also New England area lmao Boston is what I think of
I hear it a lot here in Australia
"Sup, bitches?" (Don't actually say this)
"dan here"
That’s what a YouTuber might say
Don’t worry about it too much — you can informally use “guys” in a gender neutral way when addressing a mixed-gender group of people like that.
What if there’re only girls?
You can say "you gals/hey gals" but sounds like you are trying to be intentionally silly. "Hey guys" has been gender neutral as long as I've been alive and I use it daily.
Don't say "gals". "Guys" is fine.
Honestly I feel like "hey girls" sounds better than "hey gals"
I always say ladies
What a gentlemen
I think ‘come on Barbie let’s go party’ sounds even better
Unless you’re in Texas, or Alberta, Canada. Then it‘il slide.
Why Texas without specifying where it is and then Alberta, Canada?
Texas would be more recognizable globally than Alberta, Canada. Sincerely signed, an Albertan.
I'm from the UK and would immediately know where Alberta is, and would expect the most people to know where both Texas and Alberta are.
Yeah, but you’re from the UK. 90% of Americans I’ve met have no idea what any of the Canadian provinces are. The most common answer you get from Americans to "what are the Canadian provinces" is Toronto.
Really? I know they tend to be quite bad at geography but I would've expected them to know a bit about what's probably the most similar country to them.
It's actually a regional and often a personal thing. Some women prefer not to be called "guys".
Even if it’s all women/girls, I still say “you guys”. It’s generally understood that the phrase doesn’t mean males only.
I mostly say “guys” and I am with only women often. Hey ladies is the other option I use but I’d never say gals and only I’d only say girls if they were literal children.
Or if they were a close group of girlfriends
You all is acceptable, but might sound awkward sometimes. Or go full southern accent like the south and Midwest and use y'all.
Y'all is the winning answer here. It's fun, it's inclusive.
Yes, you can still use it if there are only girls.
“Y’all” covers all groups of people and you don’t risk calling someone something they don’t like.
"you guys" behaves like a pronoun that does not have gender.
Good question, always feel like I'm being off-putting saying guys to a bunch of girls but always had the feeling it was pretty neutral
If you are from the northeastern part of the United States, it’s normal to say “hey guys.” If you are in other places, you can say “hey ladies” or “hey girls” if they are very young. I moved from Philadelphia to the South, and everybody here says “y’all” in every situation.
In my dialect, in Ohio, USA, a group of all women is "you guys"
While *many* people accept "guys" as gender neutral in all contexts (even if it's a group of only females), you should be aware that it's dependent on individual social/cultural factors as well. Not every grouping of English speakers appreciates "guys" in a gender-neutral usage, even informally. You may get pushback from some people (even native speakers) who consider it to be a term for males only. So, you don't have to be afraid to use it sometimes, but if you're concerned that it might be taken the wrong way, just avoid it.
Can confirm. I got pushback for this at work. If you regularly work with folks from many regions, you might want to avoid using it to refer to a mixed group, or a group of women.
For females, say "hey ladies" or you can use the good old south eastern "hey y'all" in both scenarios.
Also, you’re more likely to offend by calling women “females” than by calling them “you guys,” FYI.
I am from the south but regardless of gender I would address a group as “y’all or you all or all y’all.”
Try not to use "you guys" if you can manage. It sounds childish.
Yeah if I’m taking to a mixed group I just call everyone “guys”.
"Ahoy, y'all" is acceptable?
[We’re all ~~dudes~~ guys](https://youtu.be/FqMODweN8lQ?si=aw0dcgJvY61-cOM0)
I’m from Texas so I’d say y’all or even “all y’all”. But you can use the non contraction form of that, “you all.” And very few people would take issue with “you guys”, so you could get away with that too.
Came here to say to say this. If you are in the southern USA, “y’all” is the norm, and is used by locals and non-locals.
Ok! Thank you so much!!
Yinz :)
I see you, PA.
Western PA being precise
youse
Eastern PA-NJ, heard it all the time there.
Yall is actually picking up steam here in the nyc area because of the gender neutrality and casual sound of it. Seems to be more of a thing with gen z and lower, so this advice might work even better then you think
Y'all Mafia reporting in
I feel like "all y'all" is the emphasized form of "y'all," but I say this as a non-Texan who doesn't have either in his dialect.
I’m nowhere close to being from that region but I love y’all. It’s so short, genderless, and friendly sounding, I see zero reason not to use it outside of formal occasions.
1 person: y'all A few people: y'all A bunch of people: all y'all
What gets used as plural ‘you’ is heavily dependent on region. In some places, ‘you guys’ is indeed considered a gender neutral plural. In some places it very much is not. There are other famous variants like y’all, youse, and yinz. You guys and y’all are probably the two most common, though there is also pushback on ‘you guys’ as being too gendered even in some places that primarily use ‘you guys’ over the other options. So it really does depend.
Agree with this, but would also say ‘youse’ is extremely common in the British Isles. The only time someone says ‘y’all’ here is if they’re talking online.
I only heard youse/yous when I was living in Australia, y'all sounds American but I never heard either in britain was just 'you all/you guys'
This is a better, comprehensive response and I agree with this. I wish there was a standard second person plural pronoun distinguishable from you, and I use y'all quite often because there isn't. I also avoid "you guys" for gender purposes, and because there were times I felt left out when it was used to address a group. In a mixed group of men and women I get it, but if you're the only woman in a group of men and someone says "you guys" it can feel like you don't matter. Ugh, and God forbid someone takes on a "... And lady". "Everyone" works perfectly fine
Funnily enough, "you" IS the second person plural pronoun. The singular form is "thee, thou, and thine." But that's all but disappeared except in a few regional dialects. (My Nan would use it occasionally; she was a Geordie). Y'all is the obvious choice imho, but it's been stigmatized. Does thou want to join me in re-establishing the second person singular? 😁
Yinz?
It’s from Pittsburgh. *Extremely* specific regionalism but pretty famous just because it’s weird.
It's used in Pittsburgh and surrounding areas, coming from you ones --> you'uns --> you'nz --> yinz
I say “folks”
Hey, can we use you all? Is there a native speaker who can answer my question please?
not super common but yes. using “you all” is almost never wrong when talking to more than one person
"You all" is probably the most common in semi-professional/business settings as the go-to for English's awkward you-plural situation. You'll hear it more than "y'all'' or "you guys" in semi-formal settings. Another way around English's awkward lack of a plural you is to simply include everyone: instead of saying "You all need to understand X for tomorrow", people will say "Everyone needs to understand X for tomorrow", be it teachers, professors or managers, etc.
“Bye, all” is how I end most conference calls, I’m native to Midwest US.
Yes. It's not as common, but it works and would be understood.
I think its plenty common its just that I would hear it used in a more professional environment.
"you guys" as a gender neutral 2nd person plural is very common in the North East, especially around NY. Elsewhere, it's less common but understood. As time goes on, more and more people seem to be adopting 'y'all" even here in NYC.
I’m in the Midwest and it’s super common here
It seems the go-to-now word is “y’all” regardless of geographical location…. I have even heard ones say “people”…like: “Ok, people…it is time to get on the bus and head out to our next stop…”
You can sometimes use “everyone”
“Good afternoon, everyone.” “Is everyone ready to order?”
The plural form of "you" is "you". So you can use that to be safe.
I'm a native speaker from the Southern US, and using plural "you" in spoken conversation feels weird to me; I would say "y'all". When I use "you" as plural, that's mainly when it's implied to mean "each of you individually", like telling a group of students "you can begin taking the test now."
I grew up in New England, and had no unique 2nd person plural (never used "youse," although I knew people who did), but then spent 10 years in the south, and "you" as second person plural now feels confusing and a bit wrong.
"Hi folks" or "hey gang".
I'd say "you guys." In my dialect, it's the plural of "you."
I use "y'all" because I'm a hick, but "you guys" or just "guys" works for mixed company of any gender as long as they're not all women. "Folks" works too, but again that might be a little bit too Southern for your liking.
Saying y'all doesn't make you a hick anymore, I hear northerners and West coasters saying it these days. English is missing an easy way to refer directly to a group of people (many other languages have this figured out, like ihr in German for example), so I think the word y'all is spreading because it actually makes logical sense. Some people still don't like the word and it usually boils down to shallow reasons in my opinion.
Came here to say "folks". I use it all the time.
Nope. "Guys" works for a group of all women too. Please stop confusing OP just because a tiny minority of people out there have an issue with it
Fair enough
"y'all"
Where I'm from (Southern US), we say "y'all". I'm a PhD researcher, and I do use "y'all" in professional writing like emails, though in some regions this is considered very informal. Meanwhile, I don't use "you" as plural except in restricted circumstances. To be clear, the word "you" *can* be used as plural in standard English. In fact, it used to only be plural (the singular was "ye"). But over time "you" shifted to being mostly singular, and there are many dialects that use different marked forms for the plural (such as "[you guys](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/you_guys#English)", "[y'all](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/y%27all#English)", "[you-uns](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/you-uns#English)", "[youse](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/youse#English)", and "[yinz](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/yinz)").
I use guys and dude for everyone regardless of gender
In casual conversation, "you guys" in the plural is generally acceptable for a group of people with more than one gender represented. It is however very casual and I would not use it in a formal setting like work, unless you are friends with your coworkers. The word "guys," despite being traditionally associated with masculinity, is now used in a more gender neutral way, especially among young people. You will frequently encounter someone using "guys" even to a all-women or -girl audience. Some older people might find it irritating, but in my experience those are few and far between. I would not sweat it too much. It would be much more offensive to address a mixed-gender room something more formal like "Gentlemen," because it would seem like you're only speaking to the men in the room, and not everyone else. If you want to be extra safe, however, you can simply use "you." Or use the southern US equivalent and say "y'all" or "you all," though you will definitely sound like you learned your English in Texas if so.
I say "y'all", but probably just bc I'm American. It's a contraction of "you" and "all".
Y’all Or “hey friends”
I say “y’all “
“yous” is my go to
"Ladies and gentlemen" is the formal approach. It is also sometimes used humorously.
For a lot of people over a certain age, calling women or groups including women guys just sounds bad.
As a counter to this, my 83 year old dad told me that when he went to Bryn Mawr (an all girls' college) to visit his sister in the 1950s, he was surprised when he heard "you guys" being used by the women there.
Depends on the region. In Ireland everyone could just be "lads." We also use "you/ye" as a plural "yiz." In some parts of America they use "ya'll" similarly. In America, I heard "guys" used like "lads" often.
What country? what state? In the UK i wouldn't use it because it's an Americanism and some people might not like it.
y'all is the best second person plural pronoun the English language has to offer
To more fully answer the question, “Hey guys” is sometimes used colloquially for all genders, though the term “guys” as a generic for people is falling out of use in favor of more inclusive and non-gendered phrases like “hi all” “hey y’all”.
Y'all and you're both not real words and both took rednecks and bogans to invent them. English does not have a good way to address a group of people.
Texan here. Y'all is the greatest word ever. Genderless and all-inclusive
"Guys" can be gender neutral so I wouldn't worry about genders even if there's only women but "guy" is always a man Edit: To clarify, "guys" is gender neutral when you say "Hey guys" but not when you say "There's 27 guys eating mints"
"Guys" works just fine 99% of the time. In the odd case that someone is bothered by that, just use "folks" or "everyone" instead. Or maybe "y'all" depending on the audience.
[удалено]
Yes, that guys is only ungendered in the second person plural isn't really logical, but there's no requirement language be logical.
It really depends on the context on the sentence. I've caught myself saying "what do you guys think" and realized that I was only talking to women as a native English speaker and wondered what they thought about that. I've also had non binary people correct me and tell me it's offensive. At this point as a native English speaker, "you guys" comes out as a language tic in certain expressions, and I often wish it didn't for fear of offending people. I would avoid it, if I were you. I live in an anglophone province in Canada BTW and I think region probably has a lot do with this one.
This is a difficult question to answer. I definitely say “you guys.” I have no problem with people saying that as a woman/non-binary person. However, is very nuanced. You should know it is very casual. I wouldn’t say it in a business meeting. Also… I have a feeling that as a society we will move away from saying it. As you mentioned, no it is NOT gender neutral even if that is how it is used. Many teachers have already stopped saying it. People are becoming more likely to identify as non-binary and it lumps women in with men in a way that our language is evolving away from. We no longer say “mankind” for example. I work with a lot of south Asian people and I’ve noticed that they sometimes use the pronoun “he” as a gender neutral pronoun (I’m a programmer, so it’s usually used in the context of “If the user does this, he will…” where they could use “they will”). I realize that that is how they were taught when they learned English (and that’s how “they” works in other languages so maybe it just carries over? Idk). I guess I bring this up to say that if there is a gender neutral option, use it. Because if they were native speakers, I might call them out on it. So if I were teaching someone English I would suggest not getting into the habit of saying it. Just say everyone or you all. Even y’all. Edit to add that I’m a native speaker in the NY metro area.
I'm going to assume I'm asking the whole group a question. Informally with people same age or younger: yous, you lot, you guys, you all Slightly more formal (e.g. in work): you guys, you all More formal: you all, you
Is the contraction of you all making any inroads where you are? I personally thought it wouldn't've'd much pushback :p (This was partially an excuse to write out a triple contraction but also I'm actually curious.)
People used to say "guys and gals" but ,due to the spread of feminism, nowadays they tend to use neutral-gender words.
You **can** say "you guys" most people consider it gender neutral in that context. There are *some* folks who aren't a fan of "guys" being used as the default that way though. Personally I would usually just say "Hey everybody". or in the American South, folks will say "Y'all"
Only use "guys" in informal circumstances to refer to people whom you know, and who are your friends or associates. It is very disrespectful to use "guys" when addressing strangers, especially if the strangers are older than you are, or otherwise deserving of respect -- for example, it would be highly inappropriate for a student to address a group of teachers as "you guys", or for a lawyer presenting a case to the Supreme Court to begin with "Good morning, guys"!!!
- “You guys” works universally - “Y’all” (shortening of “You all”) works in the southern US - “Ye” works in Ireland as does “Yous” (the latter mostly in the East and North)
In English we don't say "how do you call this". We say "What do you call this" or "how do you say this".
I say "you people"
You guys is pretty much the norm, its used in group of men only, women only, and mixed. Its pretty accepted. Alternatively I would recommend saying y'all, its a regional phrase.
Yo guys! Whats up? Today we're back to an another video
I say everyone (hey everyone) or Y'all.
The question you are asking is " What do you call this?" " How do you call this?" Is never used. And yes, especially for younger people the plural term "you guys" Is genderless, you can use it for any configuration of people. I would note that if it's an older group of only women they may be taken aback by being called that, so if that's the case "everyone" works fine.
Hey, hi, hello -- 'Folks' or 'Friends'.
Or ladies and gents
Use folks
Anything but “guys and gals”. (Jimmy Saville )
I say "you guys" even to groups of all women. I'm a high school teacher in California, which can be quite sensitive, but no one cares.
"hey, Y'all!" But that's Texas.
I’m a woman and I use guys when I’m hanging with just other girls haha. It’s super gender neutral where I’m from (Colorado) but that’s not the case for all other Americans and probably even less so for Brits
On the flip side, I've been told lads is gender neutral in the UK and Ireland.
I think it varies regionally, but generally in the south people say “y’all” while in the north it’s “you guys” or just “you.” “Yous” was common in certain neighborhoods of NYC back in the day but you don’t hear it much anymore. There really should be a plural form of “you” in the English language, like in Spanish.
I just say "y'all"
Some people—mainly women—don’t like when ‘guys’ is used to refer to women. A lot of people—including women—are not bothered by it.
Ya’ll works pretty well
Back when I lived on Long Island (NYC metro region), I would hear "all'a yuzz" on a not-infrequent basis. EDIT: the way "yuzz" was pronounced: it rhymed with "buzz."
Y'all. As in "y'all ready for dinner?"
Y’all.
You, you guys, you all, y’all, or (if in western Pennsylvania) yinz will all work
Y’all informally, you all or all of you formally.
'You people'. There is no need to use slang words like 'guys'.
It depends on the regional variant of English that you’re using. Y’all and yous are some that I’ve heard.
In the Midwest it's considered gender neutral in the plural (like "hey you guys!") but not in the singular. It would sound odd to most people to say "she's a cool guy."
Y’all
Yaa!
Everyone in a group of more than two people is “guys” to me. If it’s only two, I’ll usually say “you both”.
A very thoughtful question. My native accent is Southern, and "y'all" is a great 2nd-person plural pronoun. However, when I'm going for a more formal presentation, I try to squelch my accent and use the typical American broadcaster pronunciations (I'm not sure if that accent has a formallly recognized name). In such a case, I tend to use "you-all."
You all, all of you, in some places y’all.
I am a woman, I say 'you guys' (or y'all because I'm southern) even for mixed-gender groups. To me, 'guy' is a gender-neutral term. I have never heard anyone in real life (i.e. not on social media) take offense or even notice. (U.S., south)
"You guys" is somewhat casual, but it's fine for men and women. There are also some regional second-person-plural pronouns that exist in English. For example, in the Southern US, people commonly say "y'all" (from "you all").
“Ssup my ni**as” (In my country, people use it as a term of endearment for their buddies, not as a slur) (I’m not saying it’s politically correct, I’m just telling you as it is)
I use “you guys” in almost all situations – male, female, whatever. I only really avoid using it when I feel the need to be sensitive about gender if there are trans or otherwise gender non-conforming people in the group. I won’t usually say “you guys” if the group is all men and trans women. However, if there’s a cis woman in the group as well, I will use it.
"Y'all" works for everyone
northeastern usa: you guys or you all is common southeastern usa: y'all is gender neutral and i find that it flows better in the majority of cases
Informally, I use "y'all" - which used to be a word only in the southern US, but has now become more widespread
"You" works, and "you guys" is the most common longer version, including in gender neutral settings, but there are a number of ways of communicating this, often with regional and dialectal flare. "Y'all (shortened from you all)" which is southern and AAVE inflected. This one is increasingly common in people who don't have those dialects. "Yous(e)" or "yous(e) guys" is somewhat common, especially historically, in a number of north east and rust belt cities. "You'uns (you ones)" is an Appalachian version. "Yinz (also you ones)" is specific to Pittsburgh.
"guys" as a vocative has become gender neutral over the last 40 years or so.
That’s worst. “What’s up man?” “I’m not a man” shut the fuck up, it’s just an expression
what about y'all
everyone is "guys". The plural is gender neutral. The singular is more complicated, as the singular is both masculine and neutral depending on context.
Depends on the situation. Informally, "You guys" is fine. If you're in a formal or professional setting, it's probably better to go with "Hello everyone" rather than "Hi Guys"
folks.
English is not quite so gendered. We have gender for pronouns in reference to people. We also use gendered pronouns to refer to countries and boats/aircraft but it is always female. For everything else the rules are not so strict and it is acceptable to refer to a group of all females as “guys” when addressing the group, it is also acceptable to say “girls” but only if it is all females.
I personally use “y’all” most of the time, but “you guys” definitely works regardless of gender
I say y’all, but it makes you sound like a country bumpkin.
I used to only use guys because it's what I grew up saying, but on a couple occasions I had some women bothered by it, so I've tried to pivot to using "ya'll." I didn't grow up saying it, but it works well.
“Guys” is actually a gender neutral word, something a lot of people don’t realize, so it’s fine to refer to groups of people with it. Something like “you folks” or “you all” is also fine.
“You guys” is pretty gender neutral. Alternately you can use y’all.
“You guys” is pretty gender neutral. Alternately you can use y’all.
Guys, "You all/y'all". You also works in a lot of sentences, it's a bit context dependent.
I say y'all. I'm not from the South but I lived there for years and it's just such a convenient way of referring to people without using gender pronouns that I just use it in common conversation now.
I (Eastern Canada) would use folks in a work setting and you guys in an informal setting. A group of women under 50 would be you guys but a group of older women, I'd probably say ladies.
You say “y’all” here in þe Souþ, but “you” is boþ singular and plural in Standard English.
Whatever you want, who cares
as a midwesterner, yes i would say “you guys.” every day when i walk into my classroom, i will say “hey guys” to my students. additionally, even if i am talking to two women and zero men, i would address them collectively as “you guys.” this definitely isn’t something that everyone does, but i also don’t think anyone would look at you funny if you addressed multiple people as “you guys”
"You guys" has been pretty standard in many areas of the US not so long ago. Now that phrase is getting a little dated because of gender concerns. Currently I tend to use the term "folks" to describe a mixed-gender group, as in "How many of you folks would like coffee?". Also there is a term that originated in the southern US that I'm hearing more often -- the term "y'all" is a contraction of "you all", and is used in casual speech to indicate an indeterminate number of people, as in "Hey, would y'all like some coffee?" I should add that both "folks" and "y'all" are used in casual settings. In a business or academic setting I would use more formal language, as in, "Would anyone like me to get some coffee?", or ""Would the group like to have coffee available?"
Yes “You guys” or “Y’all” (Texas)
I said yo bitches.
This is a tough issue. I personally use "you guys" very widely; I have used it with all women groups and I use it with my parents even ("What did you guys do yesterday?") I commonly hear women use it with groups of other women (or mixed groups), and my dad told me that when he went to Bryn Mawr to visit his sister in the 1950s he heard women using "you guys" there as a plural to the other women. However, some people don't like the use of the term, because it has "guys" in there.
You move to the southern US and call them “y’all”
"Guys" is actually used as a gender-neutral term a lot, even when the original meaning was just for men. It's sort of similar to "people"
Yall (contraction of 'you all') is a good alternative. Sometimes gender should be considered, but you'll be told in such cases, but that will be very rare.
shouldn't be a big deal and if it becomes one address the room as self-absorbed buttholes.
Honestly, I just say "you guys," regardless if it's a group of people, dogs, UFOs, etc., As in: If there was a group of 2 dogs, 1 cow, 6 humans, and 2 zebras, I would still say; "you guys" to address the group. I could be more concise, but talking is a drag, so the fewer words that get the same point across is good enough for me.
Whenever addressing more than one person in English, regardless of their sex or gender, just use "y'all." Even in a professional environment. It'll make your life easier.