guys

In English, there's not a really good word for addressing a group of people. If you're talking to one person you say "you":

How are you?

But there's some disagreement about what to say to a group of people. English speakers use different expressions depending on the region and dialect, but one common expression is "guys". For example, at a restaurant with a large group of friends you can say:

Hey guys, are you ready to order?

"Guys" technically means a group of men, but it's usually OK to use it for mixed groups of men and women, or even for groups of all women.

In very formal situations, avoid calling a group of people "guys". Instead, use a phrase like "everyone":

Everyone, thank you for coming.

This phrase appears in these lessons: