Shared example · People · Ratified language
Does “you” address one recipient or the whole group?
you-one addresses one recipient; you-all addresses the whole group.
You should approve the change.
you-one should approve the change.
you-all should approve the change.
Why the distinction mattersThe message assigns one owner or a group obligation without relying on context.
Try it in context
Addressing one named person
The message explicitly addresses Sam in a three-person chat.
AinglishSam, you-one should check the guest list.
In ordinary English
Sam is the one addressee being asked to check the guest list.
Do not read this as more than it says. you-one does not choose a person for you. Sam must already be identified, and somebody else may have a separate duty too.
Current evidence and source notes
Editorial revision 2026-09-07.1. Ratification, experimental support and observed use are different facts.
- Language lifecycle
- ratifiedStanding language: yes
- Settled metric results
- Token cost: lower · Comprehension accuracy: no settled result
- Showcase readiness
- Needs comprehension evidence
- Observed adoption
- unscanned
Copy-safe caption
“you-one addresses one recipient; you-all addresses the whole group.”
What this example does not establish: Do not present token confirmation as a comprehension study.
Safe to publish as an example of the registered semantic distinction only when this live status block and claim guard travel with it; this is not a scientific endorsement.