yours
yours — pronoun
1. a word that takes the place of 'your' and a noun; it tells the person you are ta
a word that takes the place of 'your' and a noun; it tells the person you are talking to that something belongs to them
Is this pen yours, or does it belong to the teacher?
yours as standalone possessive pronoun
Harper forgot her water bottle at home, so she asked if she could borrow yours.
That blue bicycle by the gate is yours — your father left it for you this morning.
Yael checked the name tags on every backpack until she found one that was yours.
Sari offered me her umbrella when she saw that I had left yours on the bus.
of yours / yours with possessive meaning
- yours
- of yours
Grammar Patterns
yours replaces 'your + noun'
Usage Note
Unlike 'your' (a determiner), 'yours' stands alone without a following noun — e.g. 'This is your book' vs 'This book is yours'.
Common Mistakes
2. a word used in standard polite phrases that come just above a signature when fin
a word used in standard polite phrases that come just above a signature when finishing a formal letter or email
We look forward to receiving your response. Yours sincerely, Gita Patel.
Yours sincerely in formal letter
Please send the signed contract by Friday. Yours faithfully, Caio Rodriguez.
Yours faithfully when recipient not named
Thank you for reviewing our funding request for the new children's library. Yours truly, Élise Novak, Taitung Literacy Project.
Thank you for your generous donation to the school library. Yours sincerely, Yael Huang.
We hope you will join us for the open-mic night on Saturday. Yours truly, Karim Hassan, Taipei Community Arts Centre.
Yours truly in American English
- Yours sincerely
- Yours faithfully
- Yours truly
Grammar Patterns
Yours sincerely / Yours faithfully / Yours truly + signature
Usage Note
Use 'Yours sincerely' when the letter starts with the recipient's name (e.g. 'Dear Ms. Chen') and 'Yours faithfully' when it starts with 'Dear Sir or Madam'. 'Yours truly' is more common in American English.
Common Mistakes
❌ 'Yours sincerely, Yael Kim (no comma before the name)' — always place a comma after the closing phrase before the name.
3. a word that shows something belongs to people in general, not to one specific pe
a word that shows something belongs to people in general, not to one specific person; it often appears in general statements or common sayings
In a well-run community, the public garden is yours to enjoy and care for together.
generic yours meaning 'one's'
On moving-in day, the empty room is yours to decorate however you like, from the bed to the shelves.
Opportunities in this programme are yours to take if you are willing to work hard.
The choice of career is yours to make; no parent should force a path on their child.
yours to + infinitive in general statements
The story of the old mill is yours to explore at the town museum.
- yours to + verb
- yours alone
Grammar Patterns
yours in general statements about people
Usage Note
This sense is similar to the generic 'you' (meaning 'one' / 'people in general'). It is not interchangeable with sense 1, which refers to a specific person being spoken to.
you and yours
idiomRefers to you together with your family and close friends.
We hope you and yours have a wonderful holiday season.
Please give our best wishes to you and yours.