"You are women."
Translation:Ni är kvinnor.
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Ni and du are different. Du refers to just one person, ni refers to more people. Since there is plural "women", only "ni" can be used
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Ni = ye/you (-n from Old Swedish verb plural verb suffix, rebracketed onto the pronoun í, from Old Norse éʀ, from Proto-Germanic jiz, same source as English ye/you).
Du = thou.
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Yes! I only lived in sweden for a while but we always said Du not Ni when I mean You specifically
I don't know why people ignore how annoying it is that English doesn't have a second person plural. "Y'all" is what I use. Sure, it's just a contraction. Still, at least it somewhat addresses the issue. The problem with most language majors is that they tend to be "conservatives" on a given language, and prevent further evolution of said language.
I think we should instead refer to the suggestions of linguists, which may allow language to evolve in a logical and efficient manner.
Spelling in English is abysmal. Why not make it phonetic? Why not make the grammar rules more streamlined, instead of regular irregularities? Maybe one day, these issues will be addressed. Unlikely in my lifetime, though. :/
Language evolves with subtlety over time, including the English language. If you went back in time two-hundred years ago you would likely have a hard time understanding, not because linguists allowed language to change, simply because language flows like a river.
Some languages have changed little over time; I may be wrong but I believe Arabic to be an example.
Have you heard about the Shavian alphabet? I just couldn't help thinking of it when I read your comment. :) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shavian_alphabet
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'Ni' can in theory also be used like the german 'Sie'; formal singular you. However, you only use that if you would talk to the king or such. You would sound very archaic in other situations.
As a side note, I actually have been referred to as 'Ni' in a couple of visits to some stores recently, always by younger staff. They probably think they are being very polite, but to me it sounds very strange, and this usage sounds like a relic from a hundred years ago..
(Also, I lied. If you would meet the king you should actually say "Ers Majestät", referring to him in third person.)
Not really.
https://www.duolingo.com/comment/5591933
This discussion handles the topic, with a bit of discussion among a couple of native speakers on the subject.