we

See also: Appendix:Variations of "we"
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English

Etymology 1

Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *wéyder.
Proto-Germanic *wīz
Proto-West Germanic *wiʀ
Old English wē
Middle English we
English we

    From Middle English we, from Old English wē (“we”), from Proto-West Germanic *wiʀ, from Proto-Germanic *wīz, *wiz (“we”), from Proto-Indo-European *wéy (“we (plural)”). Cognate with Scots wee, we (“we”), North Frisian we (“we”), West Frisian wy (“we”), Low German wi (“we”), Dutch we, wij (“we”), German wir (“we”), Danish, Swedish and Norwegian vi (“we”), Icelandic vér, við (“we”), Avestan 𐬬𐬀𐬉𐬨 (vaēm), Sanskrit वयम् (vayám).

    Pronunciation

    Pronoun

    we (first-person plural personal pronoun nominative case, objective case us, possessive determiner our, possessive pronoun ours, reflexive ourselves, reflexive singular ourself)

    1. Two or more people including or consisting of the speaker(s)/writer(s).
      2. Excluding the person(s) being addressed. (This is the exclusive we.)
        We are here to arrest you.
        • 2017 February 20, Paul Mason, “Climate scepticism is a far-right badge of honour – even in sweltering Australia”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian‎[1], London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 31 August 2025:
          It’s time to overcome queasiness and restraint. We, the liberal and progressive people of the world, are at war with the far right to save the earth.
      4. Including the person(s) being addressed. (This is the inclusive we.)
        We need to have a talk, you and me.
    3. The institution which the speaker/writer is acting for. (This is the editorial we, used by writers and others when speaking with the authority of their publication or organisation.)
      We will in due course state our reasons for publishing the name of the accused.
      As the government, we have a duty to ensure public safety.
      • 2021, Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau, “Paper No. CMAB C4/9/1”, in Documents of the Hong Kong Legislative Council‎[2], archived from the original on 8 December 2025, page 1:
        In light of the promulgation of the aforementioned laws and decisions, we (the administration) propose to make the following amendments to local legislation to implement the relevant requirements on oath taking by public officers.
    4. Any other entity that the speaker is a part of or identifies with, such as place of employment or education, nation, region, language, etc.
      I went to watch our school football match against Puddletown High. We lost 2-0.
      In English, we do not inflect adjectives for gender.
    6. People in general.
      We live and learn.
      We still have much to learn about quantum mechanics.
    8. (royal) The sovereign alone in his or her capacity as monarch. (This is the royal we. The reflexive case of this sense of we is ourself.)
      We are Queen of all these Isles.
    9. (colloquial) Everyone being addressed.
      Good evening everyone. How are we all tonight?
    11. (colloquial; may sometimes seem patronising) An individual being addressed; used especially to a person in the speaker's care, or to whom advice or instruction is being given. (Sometimes called the nurse's we or the doctor's we.)
      Hello Mrs Miggins. How are we feeling this morning?
      You've been spending all your money boozing when you have a spouse and family to support. I think we need to get our priorities straight.
    12. (colloquial, uncommon) Used to refer to a third person, especially someone in the speaker's care.
      "I've just been to see Mrs Miggins." — "And how is she?" — "I'm afraid we aren't too good today."
    13. Used to connect to or include readers or listeners.
      1. (colloquial) Used to imply connection between the speaker's experiences or activities and a group of listeners. (Compare the plural of modesty.)
        Hey guys, in this video I'll show you how I make my upside-down sponge cake. First we take 200 g of butter and we whisk in 200 g of sugar. Next, we ...
        • 2021 January 6, 3:38:03 from the start, in Rally on Electoral College Vote Certification‎[3] (television broadcast), spoken by Donald Trump, Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network (C-SPAN):
          All Vice President [Mike] Pence has to do is send it back to the states to recertify and we become president and you are the happiest people.
        • 2021 June 24, “Far from Home” (3:07 from the start), in Alone‎[4], season 9, episode 4 (televison production), spoken by Theresa Emmerich Kamper, via HISTORY Channel:
          [Today is] not a day to think about fishing so we will get back to working on the shelter. [cut in video] Cool, so I guess the best analogy for this, then, is that we've basically framed the house, and now we get to shingle.
        • 2022 October 25, 32:11 from the start, Vote 2022, in Joseph Camp, director, PBS NewsHour‎[5] (television production), spoken by John Fetterman, via Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), archived from the original on 25 October 2022:
          The elephant in the room, you know, we had a stroke back in May.
      2. Used in explanatory or procedural writing, such as mathematical explanations, to imply inclusion of the reader in the undertaking.
        To solve the equation, we first collect all the terms in x on one side.
    14. (colloquial) Used when talking to oneself to refer to oneself.
      Now then ... let me see ... I hope I'm doing this right ... if we just connect these two wires together ...
    15. (West Country, archaic) Us.
    16. (bridge) The side which is keeping score.
      Antonym: they
    Derived terms
    Descendants
    • Jamaican Creole: wi
    • Sranan Tongo: wi
    Translations

    Determiner

    we

    1. Designates the speaker(s)/writer(s) as belonging to or constituting the stated category of people.
      We Canadians like to think of ourselves as different.
      We the undersigned wish to express our disapproval.

    Etymology 2

      Case extension of nominative we, used in the objective case in Tyneside English.

      Pronunciation

      Pronoun

      we

      2. (Geordie) Us.
        He was a propa gadgie, and always bought we drinks after a long shift.
        He was a great guy, and always bought us drinks after a long shift.
        And what have you done for we since? Nowt!
        And what have you done for us since? Nothing!
      Usage notes

      Not to be confused with Tyneside us (“me”).

      Anagrams

      Abinomn

      Noun

      we (dual werom, plural wekon)

      1. tree kangaroo

      References

      • Newguineaworld, citing Donohue and Musgrave, Abinomn nominal number (2007: 365)

      Akan

      Verb

      we (Twi)

      1. to chew
        Synonym: wesa
      2. gnaw

      See also

      • ka (“to bite”)

      References

      • LearnAkan (2018–present), “chew”, in LearnAkanDictionary.com (overall work in English)

      Anguthimri

      Noun

      we

      1. (Mpakwithi) owl

      References

      • Terry Crowley, The Mpakwithi dialect of Anguthimri (1981), page 189

      Caac

      Pronunciation

      Noun

      we

      1. water
        kô-ny we
        'my (glass/drink of) water'

      References

      Cameroon Pidgin

      Alternative forms

      Etymology

      From English we.

      Pronunciation

      Pronoun

      we

      1. we, us 1st person plural subject and object personal pronoun

      See also

      Cameroon Pidgin personal pronouns
      singular plural
      Subject personal pronouns
      1st person I we, wu
      2nd person you wuna
      3rd person i dey
      Object and topic personal pronouns
      1st person me we
      2nd person you wuna
      3rd person yi, -am dem, -am

      Determiner

      we

      1. our, 1st person plural possessive determiner

      See also

      Cameroon Pidgin possessive determiners
      singular plural
      1st person my we
      2nd person your wuna
      3rd person yi dia

      Chuukese

      Determiner

      we (plural kewe)

      1. (possessive subject marker) the (singular)

      Dadibi

      Noun

      wẹ

      1. water

      Synonyms

      References

      • Karl J. Franklin, Comparative Wordlist 1 of the Gulf District and adjacent areas (1975), page 67
      • Karl James Franklin, Pacific Linguistics (1973, →ISBN), page 130: Polopa so/sou woman, cf. DAR sou female animal but we woman. Several multiple cognate sets appeared in the data. Daribi uses both ạị and wẹ for water; some Polopa speakers gave one term, some another. Both are probably known everywhere.

      Dutch

      Etymology

      See wij.

      Pronunciation

      • IPA(key): /ʋə/
      • Audio:(file)

      Pronoun

      we

      1. unstressed form of wij (“we”)

      Declension

      Dutch personal pronouns
      subject object possessive reflexive genitive5
      singular full unstr. full unstr. full unstr. pred.
      1st person ik 'k1 mij me mijn m'n1 mijne me mijner, mijns
      2nd person jij je jou je jouw je jouwe je jouwer, jouws
      2nd person archaic or regiolectal gij ge u – uw – uwe u uwer, uws
      2nd person formal u – u – uw – uwe u, zich7 uwer, uws
      3rd person masculine hij ie1 hem 'm1 zijn z'n1 zijne zich zijner, zijns
      3rd person feminine zij ze haar h'r1, 'r1, d'r1 haar h'r1, 'r1, d'r1 hare zich harer, haars
      3rd person neuter het 't1 het 't1 zijn z'n1 zijne zich zijner, zijns
      3rd person gender-neutral8 hen – hen – hun – hunne zich hunner, huns
      plural full unstr. full unstr. full unstr. pred.
      1st person wij we ons – ons, onze2 – onze ons onzer, onzes
      2nd person jullie je jullie je jullie je – je –
      2nd person archaic or regiolectal6 gij ge u – uw – uwe u uwer, uws
      2nd person formal u – u – uw – uwe u, zich7 uwer, uws
      3rd person zij ze hen3, hun4 ze hun – hunne zich hunner, huns

      1) Not as common in written language.
      2) Inflected as an adjective.
      3) In prescriptivist use, used only as direct object (accusative).
      4) In prescriptivist use, used only as indirect object (dative).
      5) Archaic. Nowadays used for formal, literary or poetic purposes, and in fixed expressions.
      6) To differentiate from the singular gij, gelle (object form elle) and variants are commonly used colloquially in Belgium. Archaic forms are gijlieden and gijlui ("you people").
      7) Zich is preferred if the reflexive pronoun immediately follows the subject pronoun u, e.g. Meldt u zich aan! 'Log in!', and if the subject pronoun u is used with a verb form that is identical with the third person singular but different from the informal second person singular, e.g. U heeft zich aangemeld. 'You have logged in.' Only u can be used in an imperative if the subject pronoun is not overt, e.g. Meld u aan! 'Log in!', where u is the reflexive pronoun. Otherwise, both u and zich are equally possible, e.g. U meldt u/zich aan. 'You log in.'
      8) Not officially recognized in standard Dutch. It has gained popularity, especially in mainstream media and queer circles, as a respectful term for non-binary individuals.

      Descendants

      • Jersey Dutch: wê

      Fijian

      Etymology

      (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

      Noun

      we-na

      1. trace, mark, track (mark left as a sign of passage)
        Au raica na we ni waqa e na qele.
        I see the trace of the boat on the sand.
      2. footprint, track (the impression of a foot)
        Synonym: we ni yava
        E levu na we e na vuata.
        There are many footprints on the ground.
      3. (anatomy) scar (permanent mark on the skin)
        Sa bula vinaka na we ni mavoa.
        The scar from the injury has healed well.

      Derived terms

      • we ni liga (“fingerprint”)
      • we ni mavoa (“scar of an injury”)
      • we ni yava (“footprint”)

      References

      • Gatty, Ronald (2009), “we”, in Fijian–English Dictionary‎[6], Suva, Fiji: Ronald Gatty, →ISBN, page 322

      French

      Alternative forms

      Etymology

      Shortened from ouais.

      Pronunciation

      • IPA(key): /wə/

      Interjection

      we

      1. (slang) ouais

      Fwâi

      we

      Etymology

      From Proto-Oceanic *waiʀ, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

      Noun

      we

      1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

      References

      • André-Georges Haudricourt, Françoise Ozanne-Rivierre, Dictionnaire thématique des langues de la région de Hienghène (1982)

      Galoli

      Etymology

      Inherited from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiR.

      Noun

      we

      1. (Talur) water

      References

      Gullah

      Etymology

      From English we.

      Pronunciation

      • IPA(key): /wiː/

      Pronoun

      we

      1. (first-person plural subject) we
      2. (first-person plural object-oblique) us

      Inflection

      Gullah Geechee personal pronouns
      Number singular plural
      puss'n subject object-oblique subject object-oblique
      fus Uh,
      A1       		me we
      sekint yuh, ya1 oonuh, oona1
      tud e,
      i1       		um dey dem

      1 alternate spelling

      References

      Haeke

      Etymology

      From Proto-Oceanic *waiʀ, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

      Pronunciation

      Noun

      we

      1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

      References

      • Jean Claude Rivierre, Sabine Ehrhart, Raymond Diéla, Le Bwatoo: et les dialectes de la région de Koné (2006)

      Haveke

      Etymology

      From Proto-Oceanic *waiʀ, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

      Pronunciation

      Noun

      we

      1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

      References

      • Jean Claude Rivierre, Sabine Ehrhart, Raymond Diéla, Le Bwatoo: et les dialectes de la région de Koné (2006)

      Hmwaveke

      Etymology

      From Proto-Oceanic *waiʀ, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

      Noun

      we

      1. water

      References

      Ido

      Etymology

      From w +‎ -e.

      Pronunciation

      • IPA(key): /we/, /wɛ/

      Noun

      we (plural we-i)

      1. The name of the Latin script letter W/w.

      See also

      Indonesian

      Etymology

      From Dutch wee.

      Pronunciation

      • IPA(key): /we/, [we]

      Noun

      wé (plural we-we)

      1. The name of the Latin script letter W/w.

      Synonyms

      • dabel yu (Standard Malay)

      See also

      Further reading

      Jamaican Creole

      Etymology 1

      (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

      Conjunction

      we

      1. that
        • 2023, Yuunivorshal Deklarieshan a Yuuman Raits, United Nations, Aatikl 25:
          Uman we a mada an pikni disorv speshal kier an elp.
          Mothers and children are entitled to special care and assistance.
          (literally, “Women that are mothers, and children, deserve special care and help.”)

      Etymology 2

      Derived from English where.

      Conjunction

      we

      1. where
        • 2012, Di Jamiekan Nyuu Testiment, Edinburgh: DJB, published 2012, →ISBN, Maak 14:14:
          Wen im go iina wan ous, tel di uona fi di ous se, "Di tiicha se fi aks yu se: We di ges ruum de we mi kyan nyam di Paasuova fuud wid mi speshal falara dem?"
          and when he goes into a house, ask the owner where I and my disciples can celebrate the Passover.

      Further reading

      • we at majstro.com

      Japanese

      Romanization

      we

      1. Rōmaji transcription of ゑ
      2. Rōmaji transcription of ヱ
      3. Rōmaji transcription of うぇ
      4. Rōmaji transcription of ウェ

      Jawe

      Etymology

      From Proto-Oceanic *waiʀ, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

      Noun

      we

      1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

      References

      • André-Georges Haudricourt, Françoise Ozanne-Rivierre, Dictionnaire thématique des langues de la région de Hienghène (1982)

      Kashubian

      Pronunciation

      • IPA(key): /ˈvɛ/
      • Rhymes: -ɛ
      • Syllabification: we

      Preposition

      we

      1. alternative form of w

      Kikuyu

      Etymology 1

      Pronunciation

      • IPA(key): /wɛ(ː)/

      Pronoun

      we (second person singular)

      1. you, thou
      • -aku (“your, thy”)

      Etymology 2

      Pronunciation

      • IPA(key): /wɛ/

      Pronoun

      we (third person singular)

      1. s/he
      • -ake (“his/her”)

      See also

      Kikuyu independent personal pronouns
      singular plural
      1st person niĩ ithuĩ
      2nd person we /wɛ(ː)/ inyuĩ
      3rd person we /wɛ/ o

      References

      • “we” in Benson, T.G. (1964). Kikuyu-English dictionary, p. 561. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

      Laboya

      Noun

      we

      1. water

      References

      • Greenhill, S. J.; Blust. R; Gray, R. D. (2008), “The Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database: From Bioinformatics to Lexomics”, in Evolutionary Bioinformatics‎[7], number 4, archived from the original on 18 April 2017, pages 271-283
      • Blust, Robert; Trussel, Stephen; et al. (2023) “*wahiR”, in the CLDF dataset from The Austronesian Comparative Dictionary (2010–), →DOI

      Lower Sorbian

      Pronunciation

      • IPA(key): /wɛ/

      Preposition

      we [with locative]

      1. alternative form of w (especially before labial consonants and consonant clusters)

      Mandarin

      Romanization

      we (we5 / we0, Zhuyin ˙ㄨㄝ)

      1. Hanyu Pinyin reading of 喂

      Romanization

      we

      1. nonstandard spelling of wē

      Usage notes

      • Transcriptions of Mandarin into the Latin script often do not distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without indication of tone.

      Mapudungun

      Adjective

      we (Raguileo spelling)

      1. new, recent

      References

      • Wixaleyiñ: Mapucezugun-wigkazugun pici hemvlcijka (Wixaleyiñ: Small Mapudungun-Spanish dictionary), Beretta, Marta; Cañumil, Dario; Cañumil, Tulio, 2008.

      Mauritian Creole

      Etymology

      From French ouais.

      Interjection

      we

      1. (colloquial) yeah, yes

      References

      • Baker, Philip; Hookoomsing, Vinesh Y. (1987), Diksiyoner kreol morisyeṅ [Mauritian Creole Dictionary] (in French and English), Paris: L'Harmattan, →ISBN, page 338
      • Carpooran, Arnaud (2011), Diksioner Morisien [Mauritian Dictionary] (in Mauritian Creole), second edition, Éditions Le Printemps, →ISBN, page 1088

      Middle English

      Etymology 1

        from Old English wē (“we”), from Proto-West Germanic *wiʀ, from Proto-Germanic *wīz, *wiz (“we”), from Proto-Indo-European *wéy (“we (plural)”). Compare wit (first person dual pronoun).

        The Southwest Midland pronunciation with /øː/ is due to the rounding effect of the preceding /w/.

        Alternative forms

        Pronunciation

        • IPA(key): /weː/, (Southwest Midlands) /wøː/

        Pronoun

        we (accusative us, we, genitive oure, possessive determiner oures)

        2. First-person plural pronoun: we
        3. First-person plural accusative pronoun: us
        Descendants
        See also
        Middle English personal pronouns
        nominative accusative dative genitive possessive
        singular 1st person I, ich, ik me min
        mi1        		 min
        2nd person þou þe þin
        þi1        		 þin
        3rd person m he him
        hine2        		 him his his
        hisen
        f sche, heo hire
        heo         		hire hire
        hires, hiren
        n hit hit
        him2        		 his, hit —
        dual3 1st person wit unk unker
        2nd person ȝit inc inker
        plural 1st person we us, ous oure oure
        oures, ouren
        2nd person4 ye yow your your
        youres, youren
        3rd person inh. he hem
        he2        		 hem here here
        heres, heren
        bor. þei þem, þeim þeir þeir
        þeires, þeiren
        1 Used preconsonantally or before h.
        2 Early or dialectal.
        3 Dual pronouns are only sporadically found in Early Middle English; after that, they are replaced by plural forms. There are no third person dual forms in Middle English.
        4 Sometimes used as a formal 2nd person singular.
        References

        Etymology 2

        From Old English wēa, from Proto-Germanic *waiwô. Doublet of wowe.

        Alternative forms

        Pronunciation

        • IPA(key): /wɛ̝ː/, /weː/

        Noun

        we (uncountable)

        2. woe, grief, sadness
        References

        Etymology 3

        Noun

        we

        1. alternative form of wye (“man, warrior”)

        Middle Low German

        Pronunciation

        • Certainly: Stem vowel: ê⁴
          • (originally) IPA(key): /weː/

        Etymology 1

        From Old Saxon hwē, from Proto-West Germanic *hwaʀ, from Proto-Germanic *hwaz.

        Alternative forms

        Pronoun

        wê (accusative wēne or wen, dative wēme or wem, genitive wes)

        1. (interrogative, masculine, feminine) who
        Descendants

        Etymology 2

        From Proto-Germanic *wiz.

        Pronoun

        wê

        1. (personal, first person, in the plural, nominative) alternative form of wî

        Nedebang

        Noun

        we

        1. blood

        References

        • Gary Holton and Laura Robinson, The Internal History of the Alor-Pantar language family, in The Alor-Pantar languages: History and Typology, edited by Marian Klamer
        • transnewguinea.org (wæ), ASJP 1 (wE i.e. wɛ), ASJP 2 (we)

        Nemi

        Etymology

        From Proto-Oceanic *waiʀ, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

        Noun

        we

        1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

        References

        • André-Georges Haudricourt, Françoise Ozanne-Rivierre, Dictionnaire thématique des langues de la région de Hienghène (1982)

        North Ambrym

        Etymology

        From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

        Noun

        we

        1. water

        See also

        • tee (“sea, seawater”)

        References

        • Michael Franjieh and Kilu von Prince, Classifying Nouns vs. Classifying Relations: A case study from Ambrym (PDF): we 'water'

        Further reading

        • Darrell T. Tryon, New Hebrides languages: an internal classification (1976)
        • George William Grace, The position of the Polynesian languages within the Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian) language family (1959)

        North Frisian

        Etymology

        From Old Frisian wī, from Proto-Germanic *wīz, from Proto-Indo-European *wéy.

        Pronoun

        we (Mooring)

        1. we (first-person plural personal pronoun)

        Alternative forms

        See also

        Personal and possessive pronouns (Mooring dialect)
        personal possessive
        subject case object case masculine
        referent         		feminine / neuter / plural
        referent
        full reduced full reduced
        singular 1st ik 'k me man min
        2nd dü – de dan din
        3rd m hi 'r ham 'n san sin
        f jü 's har 's harn har
        n hat et, 't ham et, 't san sin
        plural 1st we üs üüsen üüs
        2nd jam 'm jam jarnge
        3rd ja 's ja, jam 's jare

        The reduced forms with an apostrophe are enclitic; they immediately follow verbs or conjunctions. Dü is deleted altogether in such contexts.
        Et is not enclitic and can stand in any unstressed position; the full subject form hat is now rarely used. In reflexive use, only full object forms occur.
        Dual forms wat / unk and jat / junk are obsolete. Attributive and independent possessives are not distinguished in Mooring.

        Nyelâyu

        Etymology

        From Proto-Oceanic *waiʀ, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

        Noun

        we

        1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

        References

        • Jim Hollyman, K. J. Hollyman, Études sur les langues du Nord de la Nouvelle-Calédonie (1991), page 81

        Old English

        Alternative forms

        Etymology

          From Proto-West Germanic *wiʀ, from Proto-Germanic *wiz, *wīz, from Proto-Indo-European *wéy, plural of *éǵh₂.

          Cognate with Old Frisian wī (West Frisian wy), Old Saxon wī (Low German wi), Old Dutch wī (Dutch wij), Old High German wir (German wir), Old Norse vér (Danish and Swedish vi), Gothic 𐍅𐌴𐌹𐍃 (weis).

          Pronunciation

          • IPA(key): /weː/
          • Rhymes: -eː

          Pronoun

          wē (personal pronoun)

          1. we (nominative plural of iċ)
            • c. 990 CE, Matthew 6:9-13, in Benjamin Thorpe, F.S.A., ed. and transl., The Anglo-Saxon Version of the Holy Gospels, London: J.G.F. and J. Rivington; and J.H. Parker, published 1842, page 10:
              Fæder ūre, þū þe eart in heofenum, sī þīn nama ġehālgod. Tōbecume þīn rīċe. Ġeweorþe þīn willa on eorþan, swā swā on heofenum. Ūrne dæġhwāmlīċan hlāf syle ūs tōdæġ. And forġȳf ūs ūre ġyltas, swā swā wē forġȳfaþ ūrum ġyltendum. And ne ġelǣde þū ūs on costnunge, ac alȳs ūs of yfle: sōþlīċe.
              Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on Earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

          Declension

          Old English personal pronouns
          nominative accusative dative genitive
          singular first person iċ mē, mec mē mīn
          second person þū þē, þec þē þīn
          third person neuter hit him his
          masculine hē hine
          feminine hēo hīe hire
          dual first person wit unc, uncit unc uncer
          second person ġit inc, incit inc incer
          plural first person wē ūs, ūsiċ ūs ūre, ūser
          second person ġē ēow, ēowiċ ēow ēower
          third person hīe him heora

          Descendants

          Old Javanese

          Pronunciation

          Etymology 1

            From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *waʀi, from Proto-Austronesian *waʀi. Doublet of wari.

            Noun

            we

            1. sun
            2. day
            Usage notes

            Zoetmulder used Old Javanese we as primary entry for sun and day sense, while Old Javanese wwe used for water as primary entry.

            Alternative forms
            Derived terms
            • tistis we
            • titis iṅ way
            • tĕṅahwe
            • tĕṅahṅwe
            • we göṅ
            • we tis
            Descendants

            Etymology 2

            Noun

            we

            1. alternative spelling of wwe (“water”)

            Further reading

            • "we" in P.J. Zoetmulder with the collaboration of S.O. Robson, Old Javanese-English Dictionary. 's-Gravenhage: M. Nijhoff, 1982.

            Old Polish

            Pronunciation

            • IPA(key): (10th–15th CE) /vɛ/
            • IPA(key): (15th CE) /vɛ/

            Preposition

            we

            1. alternative form of w

            Pije

            Etymology

            From Proto-Oceanic *waiʀ, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

            Noun

            we

            1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

            References

            • André-Georges Haudricourt, Françoise Ozanne-Rivierre, Dictionnaire thématique des langues de la région de Hienghène (1982)

            Polish

            Pronunciation

            • IPA(key): /ˈvɛ/
            • Audio:(file)
            • Rhymes: -ɛ
            • Syllabification: we

            Preposition

            we

            1. alternative form of w, used mostly before words that begin with consonant clusters

            Port Vato

            Etymology 1

            Pronunciation

            • IPA(key): [ʋɛ]

            Noun

            we

            1. water

            References

            • Tryon, D. T. (1976), New Hebrides languages: An internal classification (Pacific Linguistics; C-50)‎[8], Canberra, ACT: Pacific Linguistics, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University: “we”
            • Manfred Krifka, Notes on Daakie (Port Vato): Sounds and Modality (Zentrum für Allgemeine Sprachwissenschaft, Berlin & Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin) ([ʋɛ])

            Etymology 2

            Pronunciation

            • IPA(key): [ʋɛː]

            Noun

            we

            1. fruit

            References

            • Tryon, D. T. (1976), New Hebrides languages: An internal classification (Pacific Linguistics; C-50)‎[9], Canberra, ACT: Pacific Linguistics, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University: “we”
            • Manfred Krifka, Notes on Daakie (Port Vato): Sounds and Modality (Zentrum für Allgemeine Sprachwissenschaft, Berlin & Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin) ([ʋɛ:] and the alt form [ʋɛre])

            Scots

            Alternative forms

            Etymology

            Inherited from Middle English we, from Old English wē (“we”), from Proto-West Germanic *wiʀ, from Proto-Germanic *wīz, *wiz (“we”), from Proto-Indo-European *wéy (“we (plural)”). Cognate with English we.

            Pronunciation

            • (stressed) IPA(key): /wi/
            • (unstressed) IPA(key): /wə/ (sometimes spelled wa)

            Pronoun

            we

            1. we
            2. us
              the flat above we (unstressed) ― the apartment above us

            See also

            Scots personal pronouns
            personal pronoun possessive
            pronoun            		 possessive
            determiner
            subjective objective reflexive
            first person singular A, I, Ik me mysel mine, mines mine, my
            plural we us, we oorsel, oorsels oors our
            second person singular standard (formal) ye
            you, yow            		 ye
            you, yow            		 yersel
            yoursel            		 yers
            yours            		 yer
            your
            Insular (informal) thoo thee thysel, theesel thines thy, thee, thees
            plural ye, yese
            you, youse            		 ye, yese
            you, youse
            theer            		 yesels
            yoursels            		 yers
            yours            		 yer
            your
            third person singular masculine he, e him, im himsel, hissel his, is his, is
            feminine scho, she, shu her, er hersel hers her, er
            neuter it
            hit            		 it
            hit            		 itsel
            hitsel            		 its
            hits            		 its
            hits
            genderless, nonspecific
            (formal)             		ane ane – – ane's
            plural thay thaim thaimsel, thaimsels thairs thair

            References

            Silesian

            Pronunciation

            • IPA(key): /ˈvɛ/
            • Audio:(file)
            • Rhymes: -ɛ
            • Syllabification: we

            Preposition

            we

            1. alternative form of w, used mostly before words that begin with consonant clusters

            Slovincian

            Pronunciation

            • IPA(key): /ˈvə/
            • Rhymes: -ə
            • Syllabification: we

            Preposition

            we

            1. alternative form of w

            Further reading

            Southeast Babar

            Pronunciation

            • IPA(key): /ˈwe/

            Noun

            we

            1. water

            References

            • Mark Taber, Toward a Better Understanding of the Indigenous Languages of Southwestern Maluku, in Oceanic Linguistics, vol. 32, no. 2 (Winter, 1993)

            Spanish

            Alternative forms

            Etymology

            Variant of güey, representing the relaxed pronunciation of the /gw/ sounds and in some cases loss of the /i/ sound.

            Pronunciation

            • IPA(key): /ˈwe/ [ˈwe]
            • Rhymes: -e
            • Syllabification: we

            Noun

            we m or f by sense (plural wees)

            1. (colloquial) dude, guy, buddy
              Synonyms: carnal, cuate, tonto, bato
            2. (Mexico, colloquial slang) chump, punk, dumbass, idiot, jerk

            Swahili

            Pronunciation

            • (Unguja standard) IPA(key): /wɛ/

            Verb

            -we

            1. subjunctive stem of -wa

            Tauya

            Pronoun

            we

            1. (interrogative) who

            References

            • Lorna MacDonald (2013), A Dictionary of Tauya, Berlin: De Gruyter, →ISBN, page 237

            Tocharian A

            cardinal numbers
            Previous: sas
            Next: tre

            Etymology

            From Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁. Compare Tocharian B wi.

            Numeral

            we f

            1. two

            Tok Pisin

            Etymology

            From English where.

            Adverb

            we

            1. where

            Turkmen

            Etymology 1

            Borrowed from Persian وَ (va).

            Conjunction

            we

            1. and

            Etymology 2

            Noun

            we (definite accusative [please provide], plural [please provide])

            1. The name of the Latin script letter W/w.

            Uyghur

            Other scripts
            Arabic ۋە
            Latin we
            Cyrillic
            (Kazakhstan)             		вә (we)

            Noun

            we

            1. Latin (ULY) transcription of ۋە (we)

            Vamale

            Noun

            we

            1. water

            References

            Ventureño

            Etymology

            (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.) Compare Barbareño weʼ and Purisimeño weʼe̥.

            Pronunciation

            Verb

            we

            1. to sleep

            References

            Welsh

            Pronunciation

            • IPA(key): /weː/

            Noun

            we

            1. soft mutation of gwe

            Mutation

            Mutated forms of gwe
            radical soft nasal aspirate
            gwe we ngwe unchanged

            Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Welsh.
            All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

            West Makian

            Pronunciation

            Noun

            we

            1. leaf

            References

            • Clemens Voorhoeve (1982), The Makian languages and their neighbours‎[12], Pacific linguistics

            West Masela

            Noun

            we

            1. (fresh-) water

            References

            • Charles E. Grimes, Owen Edwards, The Austronesian languages of eastern Indonesia and Timor Leste (2026), page 228

            Yola

            Pronoun

            we

            1. alternative form of wough
              • 1867, CONGRATULATORY ADDRESS IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, page 114, lines 7-9:
                and whilke we canna zei, albeit o' 'Governere,' 'Statesman,' an alike.
                and for which we have no words but of 'Governor,' 'Statesman,' &c.
              • 1867, CONGRATULATORY ADDRESS IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, page 114, lines 21-23:
                Ye pace——yea, we mai zei, ye vaste pace whilke bee ee-stent owr ye londe zince th'ast ee-cam,
                The peace——yes, we may say the profound peace—which overspreads the land since your arrival,
              • 1867, CONGRATULATORY ADDRESS IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, page 116, lines 6-8:
                Na oure gladès ana whilke we dellt wi' mattoke, an zing t'oure caulès wi plou,
                In our valleys where we were digging with the spade, or as we whistled to our horses in the plough,

            References

            • Jacob Poole (d. 1827) (before 1828), William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, published 1867, page 114

            Yuanga

            Etymology

            From Proto-Oceanic *waiʀ, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

            Noun

            we

            1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

            References

            • Jim Hollyman, K. J. Hollyman, Études sur les langues du Nord de la Nouvelle-Calédonie (1999), page 81

            Zaghawa

            Pronunciation

            Noun

            we

            1. head lice

            Numeral

            we

            1. three

            References

            Zulu

            Pronoun

            -we

            1. Combining stem of wena.
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