you too
/juː tuː/
interjectional phrase
Origin
English
you + too — Second person pronoun and the adverb signifying 'in addition'
Overview
Meaning Now
- Used as a polite reply to a polite remark or greeting, equivalent to 'the same to you'.
Literal older meaning
you [also]
Language path
Proto-Germanic → Old English → English
Earliest form
you to
Earliest period
Middle English
Journey
The phrase reflects the evolution of social etiquette in English-speaking cultures where short, reciprocal responses to well-wishes (such as 'have a nice day' or 'happy birthday') became standardized to ensure communal politeness.
Evolution
- Old English
ēow
“you”
Dative/accusative form of the second person plural pronoun.
- Old English
tō
“too, also, in addition”
Adverbial development from the preposition meaning 'to'.
- Middle English
you too
“you also”
Standardized phrase for reciprocal social pleasantries.
Connections
Word parts
you
root
second person pronoun
too
root
also
Related across languages
German
du auch
you too
Dutch
jij ook
you too
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Related to you too
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.