The Southern American translation of «Hey, you guys!» is «Hey, y’all!», which suggests that the informal second person plural guys addressing a mixed gender group is 1) the same inclusive/generic masculine that’s been around for centuries, but 2) is perceived by those using the form to be gender neutral, and 3) the source of other plural uses in the third person that may seem gender neutral or not depending on circumstance and audience.
Wiktionary has the following usage note:
In plural, guys is not completely gender-neutral but it may refer to people of either sex in some circumstances and forms; the greeting “Hey guys” can generally refer to people of either gender. This usage is not always seen as accurate or correct. Referring to a group as “guys” usually means a group of men or a mixed-gender group, since describing a group of women as guys, as in “The Pussycat Dolls are a bunch of guys”, suggests that they are male, and is generally viewed as incorrect or inaccurate in that usage. In contrast, the all-male band Green Day could accurately be described as “a bunch of guys” in slang. The usage of the plural guys in the phrase “some guys chased them away” would generally be assumed to mean men rather than women.
When used of animals, guy usually refers to either a male or one whose gender is not known; it is rarely if ever used of an animal that is known to be female.
In some varieties of US and Canadian English, you guys revives the distinction between a singular and plural you, much like y’all in other varieties; in this sense, guys is gender-neutral.
You can also read there how the etymology really goes back to Guy Fawkes and that in earlier centuries, a woman dressed like a guy most likely wasn’t in a flannel shirt, jeans, and workboots.
level 1
Yes it’s so common that I never even realized this until you pointed it out
level 1
I have three daughters and always say “hey guys”, “guys stop yelling”, “guys for the love of god flush the toilet.” Hopefully you can tell my girls are young lol. But yes it’s extremely common. My 2 year old actually always refers to her sisters as guys when talking to both of my older girls. I grew up in the northern midwest and my wife in California, both of us use this as a general reference without a gender bias.
level 2
Yep, I’m an old fart, and I use the phrase «guys» when referring to both genders, especially if the group are a mixture of female and male. I can say «Bye guys» when I leave a group of people. However, if the singular is used like » this guy», «that guy», or «the guy», then one can infer that they are talking about a bloke.
level 2
I also have two teen girls . I live in Canada and the use of ‘guys’ is so common . I say this to my kids all the time . Guys , stop bickering . Guys settle down … you know how it goes . It’s used to get the kids attention whether from a parent , teacher any authority figure really .
level 2
I’m from PA. Same. The use of guys is extremely common regardless of gender.
level 2
Why don’t your daughters flush
level 2
Great, real world examples of correct usage. Lol.
level 1
Yeah, it isn’t really weird here at all.
level 1
It is used as a more generic term here in the U.S. now, instead of a word based solely on gender.
level 1
I’m from Canada and it’s fairly common to use the term guys when referring to a group of people, female or male. I would assume it’s the same in the USA as well.
level 1
I always say «guys» even if it’s girls. I’m in CA, USA 🤷♀️
level 1
This has been discussed WAY too many times. This is probably the 30th thread on this same topic.
level 1
Common especially in the Midwest. I see people reading into his use of this term all the time, that it means he works with kids, or had kids, etc but it’s so common here I don’t think it necessarily signifies any of that.
level 1
It is common- I associate it with someone who spends a lot of time talking to young people.
level 1
It’s extremely common in the midwest, which is where Indiana is.
«Guys» is unisex and used freely to refer to a «group» of people, never just a single person.
Most common is,
«Hey! Guys look at this!»,
«You guys are crazy!»,
«Come on guys! Hurry!»,
«What’s wrong with you guys?!» Etc.
level 2
It’s extremely common everywhere in the US and Canada.
level 1
Yes, totally common. I even refer to my dogs as «guys», male and female.
level 1
I’m a teacher in the uk and I sometimes use this phrase. I try not to because I’ve had a couple of pupils object to the use of the term. But yep, definitely used it and heard it used, even here in Scotland.
Asked by: Bailee Mraz
Score: 4.8/5
(29 votes)
Guys sentence example. When you guys get here, I’ll leave with you. I hope you guys enjoyed supper, because this is going to be my last trip. He wouldn’t let us do any sort of test like what he just proposed until you guys arrived.
What is the plural for guys?
The plural form of guy is guys.
Are guys grammatically correct?
In casual speech, Americans have evolved the slangy expression “you guys” to function as a second-person plural, formerly used of males only but now extended to both sexes, but this is not appropriate in formal contexts.
What does the phrase you guys mean?
informal : you —used in speech and informal writing to refer to or address two or more people How are things with you guys?
What can I say instead of guys?
Alternatives to «guys»:
- All.
- You.
- Team.
- Everyone/everybody.
- Folks.
- People.
- Friends/pals/peeps (informal settings)
15 related questions found
What is a guy’s guy?
So What Is A Guy’s Guy? Simply stated, a Guy’s Guy is a contemporary Man’s Man, with a nod to a return to the casual confidence and seductive integrity of the classic male, but updated to reflect the belief that everybody wins when men and women can be at their best.
How do you say your guy?
You guys’ is correct written, pronounced you guys’s. (Dropping the s on the written version because guys is a plural, not because I think it should always be dropped if the word ends in an s.) You rather than your because you guys is a unit and the possessive case doesn’t need to be commuted across each element of it.
Can you say you guys to a girl?
If it’s just a group of girls you can say «you girls» or «you ladies» or whatever you prefer, but guys is acceptable. You cannot use «guys» generally to refer to women in all situations.
What is the difference between guys and guy’s?
2 Answers. The use of the apostrophe defines ownership of one or more people. So, if there is only one «guy» involved, the phrase would be «your guy’s favorite cars.» If, however, there is more than one «guy» involved, the phrase would be «your guys’ favorite cars.»
Is guys a slang word?
«It is not proper etiquette to refer to everyone as ‘guys,'» she told Business Insider. «This is a slang term and should be avoided. … National etiquette expert Diane Gottsman says that «guys» is a term of familiarity, friendship, and even endearment. She also notes that it’s rarely meant to be an offensive phrase.
What is short for a guy?
What is considered a short person? Speaking of statistics, men are considered short if they are 5′7″/171 cm or shorter (1 standard deviation below average). They are considered very short if they are 5′4″/163 cm or shorter and “midget” if they are 5′1″/155 cm or shorter.
What kind of word is guys?
What type of word is ‘guys’? Guys is a noun — Word Type.
How do you tell if a boy is just using you?
Some of these warning signs that a guy is just using you might be right in front of you.
- He closes himself off. …
- Your conversations are lackluster. …
- He doesn’t care about how you feel. …
- You haven’t met anyone he knows. …
- He has issues discussing commitment. …
- He expects too many favors. …
- He is reluctant to compromise.
How are you guys doing answer?
You can say things like “not bad,” “just fine,” “can’t complain,” or “pretty good.” You want just enough to reciprocate the greeting, but not too much to slow anyone down. Not bad mate and yourself? Usually when someone says, “Hey, how’s it going?” you’d reply with, “Good, how about you?” or some variation of that.
Is dude gender neutral?
In the early 1960s, dude became prominent in surfer culture as a synonym of guy or fella. The female equivalent was «dudette» or «dudess». but these have both fallen into disuse and «dude» is now also used as a unisex term. This more general meaning of «dude» started creeping into the mainstream in the mid-1970s.
What is the female version of guys?
“Guys” can be used in English as gender neutral to refer to a group of mixed gender. You will even hear women refer to other women as “guys.” The closest linguistic equivalent with a feminine tilt would be “gals.” “Guys and gals” is a rather informal variant of “ladies and gentlemen.” (Note the reverse order.)
How do you formally say a guy?
In BE, if you are addressing men formally it would be quite usual to say «Gentlemen, please follow me / come this way / let’s sit down...» Of course «Ladies and gentlemen…» does very well in the appropriate circumstances.
What is masculinity psychology?
Masculine psychology or the psychology of men is a term sometimes used to describe and categorize issues concerning the gender related psychology of human male identity, as well as the issues that men confront during their lives. … It also relates to concepts such as masculinity and machismo.
What is a gender-neutral salutation?
The standard salutation is «Monsieur,» «Madame» or «Madame, Monsieur.» However, to be gender-neutral in letters and emails, use «Bonjour» instead, followed by a comma.
Is Guy a male or female name?
Addressing a group of people as “guys” isn’t gender inclusive. True, the word guys has a gender-neutral sense in Dictionary.com of “persons of either sex; people.” But the most common and prominent meaning of the word is “a man or boy; fellow.”
Is stuff a colloquial word or not?
Stuff is one of the most common nouns in speaking. It is more informal than thing. … Stuff is an uncountable noun.
What is opposite man?
Opposite of an adult male person. enemy. girl. lass. female.
What does it mean to be all over a guy?
informal. to be touching someone in a sexual way everywhere on their body: She was all over him, kissing him and running her hands through his hair.
Hi Jul1a,
I doubt you’ll find a precise definition… Your question piqued my interest, so I have had a think and a search…
The New Oxford is less than helpful:
guy NOUN 1. informal a man: he’s a nice guy.
My answer to your question would be that in current general usage the lower age limit for calling any one man a guy is about the mid-teens, but that it depends largely on the age of the speaker: At age twenty-four I would rarely call any one male under the age of 17 a guy, and I would be unlikely to use the word for a man over the age of, say, 40. The appropriate age given by a given speaker would, I imagine, increase with the speaker’s age.
Context, context, context…
As chuchuflette has suggested, the case of the plural form guys is more complicated. If if in 1966 Wodehouse used it as an antonym of dolls,
1966 Wodehouse Plum Pie i. 32 All the other places..had been full of guys and dolls standing bumper to bumper. (OED online)
I heard only yesterday a young Australian twentysomething woman calling out to her exclusively female group of friends:
2005 Australian Girl on Street Come on guys, lets blow this popsicle stand! (Source: unreliable.)
This plural usage need not be age- or gender-specific.
Just to make things more complicated, take one of Jonathan Green’s five definitions: guy was used in Australia in the early 20th century to mean «a fool»
guy n.3 1. [1910s+] (Aus) a fool. (Jonathan Green, Cassell’s dictionary of Slang)
and in the U.S. in the 1920s, a woman!
guy n.2 2. [1920s+] (US) a woman.
(Jonathan Green, Cassell’s dictionary of Slang)
Sorry, not very precise…
“Guys” usually works very well when you’re referring to a mixed group of people. If your group contains both men and women, it’s usually a good choice. However, some people think “guys” is too gender-specific. This article will look at better alternatives that don’t have this problem.
What Can I Say Instead Of “Guys” To A Mixed Group Of People?
There are plenty of ways to address a group of mixed gender instead of “guys.” You should try out one of the following:
- Folks
- You all
- You
- People
- Friends
- Colleagues
- Family
- Men and women
- Y’all
- Ladies and gentlemen
- Peeps
The preferred version is “folks,” and it’s grown in popularity in recent years. You can use it to refer to a room filled with men and women. “Folks” is synonymous with “people,” which shows that it is not a gender-specific term, and it can work to address a group.
Folks
“Folks” is your best bet when you want to refer to a group of mixed people. Men and women both respond positively to “folks,” and it shows that there is an element of friendliness and approachability to you. You should use this in place of “guys” in most cases.
“Folks” works well because it shows that you care about the people you are talking to. “Folks” is similar to saying “fellow people,” which shows that you rank yourself amongst them rather than above them.
Interestingly, “folks” seemed to rise in popularity during the presidency of Barack Obama. It was common for him to address his audience as “folks” to keep them engaged and to make them feel welcomed. Since then, most people have used it when addressing rooms of people.
These examples should help you to understand more about it:
- Okay, folks! That’s all I’ve got time for today, but I’m glad you all enjoyed yourself.
- Yes, folks, I really am here to talk to you about this issue for a full hour! I hope you don’t get too bored.
- Folks, I’m going to need you all to listen carefully to the things I’m about to say.
You All
“You all” is another great way to address a mixed group. We can use “all” to show that multiple people are being referred to, which helps us address people as a familiar group. It also puts us on a similar level as “folks” does.
These examples will help you to understand it:
- You all thought you could keep avoiding this situation, but you were mistaken.
- I’m glad you all could be here tonight. Now it’s time to discuss our future renovation.
- I’m happy to see you all again, and I can’t wait to share my designs with you all.
You
“You” is a shorter version of “you all.” While it typically refers to a singular person, “you” is also capable of being plural. It can refer to a much larger group filled with people from all walks of life, which is why it works well to address a room or crowd.
“You all” is not necessary when addressing a group. It’s up to you which of the two you prefer, but removing the “all” will still allow you to address a room full of people.
These examples will show you how it works:
- You should all listen to me for a brief moment while I discuss this matter further.
- You need to open your eyes because there’s a world out there that is struggling more than you know.
- You can’t keep thinking that I’m going to end this speech and try to get away from me!
“People” is another great way to refer to a group of mixed individuals. However, you should be careful with this one because it makes you seem a bit alien to the crowd. It seems like you are not putting a personal touch on your message when using “people.”
These examples will show you how it works:
- My fellow people, it is with great pride and deepest pleasure that I welcome you tonight.
- People, now it is time for us to pull up a chair, take a menu, and relax!
- Okay, people. You have got to listen to me when I say the following words.
Friends
“Friends” works well to replace “guys.” It shows that you’re happy to be on the same level as the people you are referring to. However, it’s usually best to use this one when you’re speaking to your actual friends rather than a group of strangers.
While “friends” can work for strangers, it might make you sound strange. Some people do not like to be labeled as “friends” by strangers, which is why we don’t always encourage it when you’re speaking in public.
Here are some examples to show you how it works:
- Thank you, friends, for all of your kind words.
- My friends now is the time for us to put our hands together and welcome the man who made all of this possible.
- Friends, I know you don’t think much of me right now, but I want to make that up to you.
Colleagues
“Colleagues” is a specific phrase we can use when addressing the people we work with. If our colleagues and coworkers are filled with both men and women, it could be helpful to generalize them with this word instead of worrying about all the other ones.
These examples will help you to understand how it works:
- My esteemed colleagues. I think you all for being here with me tonight.
- Thank you, colleagues. Now it’s my time to speak, but I’ll try not to bore you.
- Okay, colleagues. This is the moment we have all been waiting for!
Family
“Family” is another specific phrase that works for a type of mixed group. You should only use “family” as a general phrase for the group when you are speaking to your family. That can include both close and extended family members.
Here are some examples of how it works:
- Okay, family, I’m pleased to see you all here today, and I think it’s time to talk about what happened.
- Listen up, family! Suzie has something she would like to say to you, so give her the floor.
- Hey, family. It’s me again, and I know I’ve been quiet lately, but I’m here to join your ranks once more.
Men And Women
“Men and women” works to specify the group of people you are addressing. This way, we do not generalize them by using words like “folks” or “people” and we specifically cover the two genders that we want to address.
However, you should be careful with this one if you do not know your audience all that well. These days, it’s likely that someone does not identify as a man or a woman, and you might end up insulting them if you’re not careful.
Still, these examples will show you how it works:
- Men and women who are listening to me speak today, I implore you to act.
- Please, men and women of this court, do not make the same mistake that I did when convicting this man.
- Men and women of this court, I think you should all divert your attention to the figure I have just presented on the screen.
Y’all
“Y’all” is a slang shortening of “you all.” It’s common mostly in Southern USA, so you might not hear it that much in other countries or regions. However, it’s still a good choice when referring to a mixed group, the same way that “you all” is.
Here are some examples that might help:
- Okay, y’all! I need you to listen up for a second.
- Y’all should pay closer attention when the teacher is speaking to you.
- Y’all need to behave yourself because I’ve got something to say that cannot be ignored!
Ladies And Gentlemen
“Ladies and gentlemen” is a very formal and polite way of addressing a mixed group. Rather than generalizing them, we can split them into two categories. That way, both men and women are covered in the audience, which works well.
You should be careful with this phrase, though. It is possible for people in your audience not to identify as either “ladies” or “gentlemen.” While this shouldn’t be too much of a problem, it can sometimes cause offense.
Here are some examples:
- Ladies and gentlemen! I present to you the answer to all of your questions!
- Ladies and gentlemen, I think it’s time we stop for a moment and think about those we lost.
- Ladies and gentlemen, if I could kindly grab your attention for a few short minutes, that would be great.
Peeps
“Peeps” is a great alternative when you’re in an informal setting. It’s the slang term for “people.” Basically, it’s just a shortened form of “people,” which is why it only works informally.
If you’re delivering a public address formally, you should use one of the other options on this list. This word only applies when addressing a group of people you’re very close to.
Here are some examples:
- Hey, peeps! I’m glad you could join me today while I explain what we’re getting up to.
- Okay, peeps. It’s time I announced my engagement to you!
- Peeps, you should listen up because I’ve got some very important to tell you all!
You may also like: 13 Gender-Neutral Alternatives To “Man-Hours” And “Man-Days”
Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here.