Read along with the three podcasts, or open the full dictionary entry for They for the definition, Arabic meaning, synonyms and example sentences.
Narrator: Today's word is one of the busiest little words in English — They.
Narrator: They, /ðeɪ/, is a pronoun. It refers to two or more people or things already mentioned — and, increasingly, to a single person whose gender is unknown or not specified.
Narrator: It actually came into English from Old Norse, brought by the Vikings, replacing an older native word. One of the few core English pronouns with a borrowed origin.
Narrator: Its everyday job is plural — They are coming, the dogs barked because they were hungry. It saves us repeating the names of people and things.
Narrator: It also works for a single unknown person — Someone called, but they didn't leave a name. This singular they is old, natural, and very common in speech.
Narrator: And it has the vague they — for people in general or authorities — They say it'll rain, or They're raising taxes again. The famous, faceless they.
Narrator: In register, they is everyday and essential — one of the most frequent words in English, flexible across plural, singular, and that vague general sense.
Narrator: At its heart, they stands in for others — the people and things we've named, or someone we simply can't, or needn't, name.
Speaker A: I rang the bank and someone helped, but honestly they were no use — couldn't answer a single question I had.
Speaker B: There you go — you've just used the singular they. One person, unknown, and they fits perfectly. Very natural in speech.
Speaker A: I didn't even think about it. And of course the main use is plural — my parents called, they're visiting next week.
Speaker B: Exactly — two or more people or things. The dogs barked because they were hungry. It saves repeating the noun.
Speaker A: And there's that vague one too — they say it's going to be a cold winter. Who's they, though?
Speaker B: Ha — nobody knows! That's the famous faceless they. People in general, or the authorities. They're putting up prices again.
Speaker A: So flexible. Now, people sometimes worry — is the singular they actually correct?
Speaker B: It is — and it's centuries old. Shakespeare and Austen used it. For an unknown single person, they is perfectly standard and natural.
Speaker A: Good to know. And how does it differ from them and their?
Speaker B: They is the subject — they run. Them is the object — I saw them. Their shows possession — their house. Same group, three forms for three jobs.
Speaker A: So they stands in for others — the people we've named, or the one we simply can't name.
Speaker B: Today we use the word they in AI prompts — it is essential for inclusive copy, user-facing messages, and writing about an unknown user clearly and respectfully.
Speaker A: I like it because they keeps copy neutral — the AI writes about any user without guessing gender, using the natural singular they.
Speaker B: Exactly. Let us start with a copy scenario:
Speaker B: PROMPT: Write all user-facing messages using singular they — when a user signs up, greet them, confirm their email, and thank them, never assuming he or she anywhere in the copy.
Speaker A: That is clear. Using singular they keeps every message inclusive and natural for any user.
Speaker B: Now a database scenario:
Speaker B: PROMPT: Add a pronoun field to the user profile that includes they/them — store each user's chosen pronouns, and have the app address them and refer to them using exactly what they selected.
Speaker A: A pronoun field that respects they/them — a thoughtful, modern touch for any profile.
Speaker B: Here is a notification scenario:
Speaker B: PROMPT: Write notification templates in the third person using they — when a teammate comments, say they left a comment and tag who they replied to, staying gender-neutral throughout.
Speaker A: Templates that use they for any teammate — clean, neutral, and never awkward.
Speaker B: A full-app prompt next, short and memorable:
Speaker B: PROMPT: Build a community app whose entire interface uses they for other members — show what they posted, who they follow, and when they joined, keeping all copy inclusive by default.
Speaker A: A community app that refers to every member as they — inclusive from the ground up. One more, perhaps for emails?
Speaker B: PROMPT: Write a welcome email that greets a new user with they in mind — never guess their gender, refer to them naturally, and make them feel personally addressed from the first line.
Speaker A: The word they in every prompt signals neutral, inclusive copy that fits any user.
Speaker B: That is the lesson. A flexible word like they tells the AI to write for everyone, gracefully. Memorable, and easy to recall.
They — meaning in Arabic & definition More T courses GL Dictionary