Download the article A short guide when and how to use “and you”
This article was co-authored by wikiHow writer Aimee Payne, MFA. Aimee Payne is a writer and editor living in Jacksonville, Florida. For more than 10 years, she has created informative and engaging marketing content for the insurance, collectibles and apparel industries. She graduated from Otterbein University where she studied English literature and music, and received her MFA in writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of all quoted facts and confirming the authority of its sources. Find out more…
So you saw your neighbor on your way to work and wished him a nice day. They answered: “And you!” You may be wondering if you should respond or if there is another way to say the same thing without sounding so formal. Read on to learn more about what “you too” means, how to use or respond to it, and what you can say instead.
“And you” is used to respond to good wishes. It can be used interchangeably with “you, too” or “and you” but is a bit more formal. While “you too” doesn’t strictly require a response, a simple “thank you” is also appropriate. It can also be used to include a third person in a request or command.
Use “and you” to respond when someone wishes you well. The most common way to use this phrase is in response to: “Have a good day!” or a similar expression of good wishes. It can also be used to respond to holiday greetings such as “Happy Halloween!” or “Merry Christmas!” Since “also” can be used interchangeably with “too” in many cases, most of the time you can use “and you” whenever you would use “and you.”[2]
- Person 1: “Have a nice lunch, Will!”
- Person 2: “You too, Steve!”
- Make sure it makes sense to reciprocate. For example, if a waitress at a restaurant tells you to have a nice lunch, it would only be appropriate to answer “you too” if they are also going to have lunch.
“You too” can also be used sarcastically to return an insult. Saying “you too” when someone insults you can be a humorous way to lighten the mood. It can be delivered in a playful, teasing way with friends, or with a bit more bite if someone is taking serious offense.
- Person 1: “You’re such a jerk, Manny.”
- Person 2: “You too, Dave.”
- Sarcasm relies on tone and expression to convey meaning. If you’re not used to being sarcastic, brush up on your skills to make sure your message comes across loud and clear.
Say “you too” when you want to include another person. Less often, you can say “you too” to include the other person in the conversation, usually as an afterthought. It can often take the form of extending an existing courtesy or invitation to another person.
- “You’re always welcome to visit, Bob. And you too, Cindy!”
- “Thank you so much for your help with the move, Mel. And you, Karl!”
“And you” can be formulated as a question to obtain information. When you tell a story and want to know if another person has experienced the same thing, you can ask them, “And you?”[3]
This usage can also sound overly formal in the US, where most people would say, “And you?”
Categories: How to
Source: HIS Education