yo
How to Use Yo
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA very informal way to say hi, to call out to someone, or to answer "here" — with a newer, less common use as a gender-neutral pronoun.
Strictly informal slang; not used in formal writing or speech.
Word Forms
yos plural
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
"_____, what's up?" he said as he walked in.
Etymology
Traced back to Middle English variants of "yea"/"yes," ultimately from Old English "gea." Its modern casual-greeting sense took off in early-20th-century Philadelphia and spread worldwide through pop culture.