They

Part of Speech

Pronoun

Pronunciation

/ðeɪ/

Definitions

• Used to refer to two or more people or things previously mentioned or easily identified.
• Used as a gender-neutral singular pronoun.

Usage Examples

• They went to the store.
• Someone left their umbrella. I hope they come back for it.

Etymology

Derived from Old Norse "þeir," which is the plural form of the pronoun.

Synonyms

• Them
• Those

Antonyms

• I
• You

Translations

Major Global Languages

• Spanish: Ellos
• French: Ils
• German: Sie
• Chinese: 他们 (Tāmen)
• Arabic: هم (Hum)
• Hindi: वे (Ve)
• Russian: Они (Oni)
• Japanese: 彼ら (Karera)
• Korean: 그들 (Geudeul)
• Portuguese: Eles
• Italian: Loro
• Dutch: Zij
• Turkish: Onlar
• Swedish: De
• Norwegian: De
• Danish: De
• Finnish: He
• Czech: Oni
• Hungarian: Ők
• Thai: พวกเขา (Phuak Khao)
• Vietnamese: Họ
• Hebrew: הם (Hem)

Indian Languages

• Hindi: वे (Ve)
• Bengali: তারা (Tara)
• Telugu: వారు (Vāru)
• Marathi: ते (Te)
• Tamil: அவர்கள் (Avargal)
• Gujarati: તેઓ (Teo)
• Malayalam: അവർ (Avar)
• Punjabi: ਉਹ (Uh)
• Urdu: وہ (Woh)
• Kannada: ಅವರು (Avaru)
• Odia: ସେମାନେ (Semāne)
• Sindhi: هو (Hu)
• Bodo: तिनि (Tini)
• Assamese: তেওঁলোকে (Teongloke)
• Manipuri: ꯃꯇꯩꯔꯤ (Matrang)
• Dogri: उह (Uh)
• Kashmiri: وہ (Wuh)
• Maithili: ओ (O)
• Magahi: ऊ (U)
• Bhili: ऊं (U)
• Rajasthani: वे (Ve)
• Himachali: ओ (O)
• Santhali: ᱟᱭᱞ (Ayil)
• Other regional languages...

Regional Pronunciation Variations

Variations include dialectical pronunciations based on regional accents.

Historical Usage

Historically, "they" has evolved from Old Norse and has been widely used in English since the 14th century.

Cultural Nuances

The use of "they" as a singular pronoun is becoming increasingly accepted in modern English, reflecting evolving attitudes toward gender identity.

More Information

A comprehensive exploration of the pronoun "they," its significance in modern language, its grammatical implications, and its role in discussions of inclusivity and gender-neutral language.