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You vs May - What's the difference?

you | may |

As a noun may is

mummy, mother.

you

English

Alternative forms

* ye * ya, yah, yer, yeh, y', yo, yu (informal or eye dialect) * -cha * -ja * u * yoo (eye dialect) * yew * youe, yow, yowe (obsolete)

Pronoun

  • (object pronoun) The people spoken, or written to, as an object.
  • * 1611 , Bible , Authorized (King James) Version. Genesis XLII:
  • And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you , saying, Ye are spies [...].
  • * (William Shakespeare), Richard III :
  • If I may counsaile you, some day or two / Your Highnesse shall repose you at the Tower [...].
  • * 1611 , Bible , Authorized (King James) Version. Genesis XIX:
  • And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city.
  • * 1975 , Joseph Nazel, Death for Hire :
  • You'd better get you a gun and kill him before he kills you or somebody.
  • (object pronoun) The person spoken to or written to, as an object. (Replacing thee; originally as a mark of respect.)
  • * (Thomas Malory), Le Morte Darthur , Book VIII:
  • I charge you , as ye woll have my love, that ye warne your kynnesmen that ye woll beare that day the slyve of golde uppon your helmet.
  • (subject pronoun) The people spoken to or written to, as a subject. (Replacing ye.)
  • Both of you should get ready now.
    You are all supposed to do as I tell you.
  • (subject pronoun) The person spoken to or written to, as a subject. (Originally as a mark of respect.)
  • * (Geoffrey Chaucer), "The Clerk's Tale", Canterbury Tales , Ellesmere manuscript (c. 1410):
  • certes lord / so wel vs liketh yow / And al youre werk / and euere han doon / þat we / Ne koude nat vs self deuysen how / We myghte lyuen / in moore felicitee [...].
  • * 1814 , (Jane Austen), Mansfield Park :
  • You' are right, Fanny, to protest against such an office, but ' you need not be afraid.
  • (indefinite personal pronoun) Anyone, one; an unspecified individual or group of individuals (as subject or object).
  • * 2001 , Polly Vernon, The Guardian , 5 May 2001:
  • You' can't choose your family, your lovers are difficult and volatile, but, oh, ' you can choose your friends - so doesn't it make much more sense to live and holiday with them instead?

    Usage notes

    * Originally, , respectively.) * In some forms of English, are all but nonexistent. * Although , or youse (though not all of these are completely equivalent or considered Standard English). * The pronoun is usually omitted in imperative sentences, but need not be. In affirmative imperatives, it may be included before the verb (You go right ahead''; ''You stay out of it''); in negative imperatives, it may be included either before the ''don't'', or, more commonly, after it (''Don't you dare go in there''; ''Don't you start now ). * See for other personal pronouns.

    Synonyms

    * *: thou *: ye *: yer (UK eye dialect) * *: all of you (plural) *: you all *: you + number *: ye *: yous/youse *: y'all, all y'all (Southern US) *: ya'll (AAVE) *: you-uns (Midwestern US and Appalachia) *: yinz *: you guys/you gals *: you lot (UK) *: allyou (Caribbean) *: yer (UK eye dialect) * , ye, to you, to thee, to ye * ye, to you, to ye, to you all * (one) one, people, they, them

    Derived terms

    * you're

    Determiner

    (en determiner)
  • The individual or group spoken or written to.
  • Have you gentlemen come to see the lady who fell backwards off a bus?
  • Used before epithets for emphasis.
  • You idiot!

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To address (a person) using the pronoun you'', rather than ''thou .
  • may

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) , Icelandic mega, megum. See also might.

    Verb

  • (obsolete) To be strong; to have power (over).
  • (obsolete, auxiliary) To be able; can.
  • *, II.3.6:
  • But many timeswe give way to passions we may resist and will not.
  • (poetic) To be able to go.
  • * 1600 , (William Shakespeare), (w, A Midsummer Night's Dream) , III.3:
  • O weary night, O long and tedious night, / Abate thy houres, shine comforts from the East, / That I may backe to Athens by day-light […].
  • (modal auxiliary verb, defective) To have permission to, be allowed. Used in granting permission and in questions to make polite requests.
  • (modal auxiliary verb, defective) Expressing a present possibility; possibly.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2011, date=October 1, author=Phil Dawkes, work=BBC Sport
  • , title=[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/15045630.stm Sunderland 2-2 West Brom] , passage=The result may not quite give the Wearsiders a sweet ending to what has been a sour week, following allegations of sexual assault and drug possession against defender Titus Bramble, but it does at least demonstrate that their spirit remains strong in the face of adversity.}}
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-06, volume=408, issue=8843, page=68, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title=[http://www.economist.com/news/finance-and-economics/21580518-terrible-name-interesting-trend-rise-smart-beta The rise of smart beta] , passage=Investors face a quandary. Cash offers a return of virtually zero in many developed countries; government-bond yields may have risen in recent weeks but they are still unattractive. Equities have suffered two big bear markets since 2000 and are wobbling again. It is hardly surprising that pension funds, insurers and endowments are searching for new sources of return.}}
  • (subjunctive present, defective) Expressing a wish (with present subjunctive effect).
  • * 1974 , (Bob Dylan),
  • May' God bless and keep you always / '''May''' your wishes all come true / '''May''' you always do for others / And let others do for you / '''May''' you build a ladder to the stars / And climb on every rung / ' May you stay forever young
  • * Prior
  • How old may Phillis be, you ask.
    Usage notes
    * (term) is now a defective verb. It has no infinitive, no past participle, and no future tense. Forms of (to be allowed to) are used to replace these missing tenses. * The simple past (both indicative and subjunctive) of (may) is (might) * The present tense is negated as (may) (not), which can be contracted to (term, mayn't), although this is old-fashioned; the simple past is negated as (might) (not), which can be contracted to (term, mightn't). * (term) has archaic second-person singular present indicative forms (mayest) and (mayst). * Usage of this word in the sense of (possibly) is considered incorrect by some speakers and writers, as it blurs the meaning of the word in the sense have permission to . These speakers and writers prefer to use the word (might) instead. * Wishes are often cast in the imperative rather than the subjunctive mood, not using the word (may), as in Have a great day!'' rather than ''May you have a great day .
    Synonyms
    * (have permission to) can, could, might * (possibly) could, might * (in subjunctive) might
    Derived terms
    * as the case may be * be it as it may, be that as it may, be this as it may * come what may * devil-may-care * if I may * I may not but * it may well with, may well with * let the chips fall where they may * may as well * maybe * may chance * may-fall * may-fortune * mayhap * mayhappen * may I? * may-issue * mayn't * may you live in interesting times * that is as may be, that's as may be * * what-you-may-call-it

    See also

    *

    Etymology 2

    (etyl) mai, so called because it blossoms in (May).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The hawthorn bush or its blossoms.
  • Derived terms
    * *

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To gather may.
  • * 1922 , , VII, lines 1-2
  • In valleys green and still / Where lovers wander maying

    Statistics

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