we

Meaning

1. The speakers/writers, or the speaker/writer and at least one other person (not the person being addressed). (This is the exclusive we.)
2. The speaker(s)/writer(s) and the person(s) being addressed. (This is the inclusive we.)
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.)
4. The sovereign alone in their capacity as monarch. (This is the royal we. The reflexive case of this sense of we is ourself.)
5. The plural form of you, including everyone being addressed.
6. A second- or third-person pronoun for a person in the speaker's care.
7. (colloquial) The speaker themselves, used to imply connection between the speaker's experiences and a group of listeners. (Compare the plural of modesty.)
8. Us.
9. The side which is keeping score.

Concepts

our

ourselves

you and me

you

all of us

you and I

dual

nominative

ours

our side

our shop

this family

my shop

my store

we all

they, etc. met each other

pals

them

they

exclusive

inclusive

1 pl.

1 pl. inc.

1 pl. excl.

locative

let us go

me and them

incl

one

somebody

someone

family

and

but

Frequency

Pronounced as (IPA)

/wiː/

Etymology

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).