language note: Yours is the second person possessive pronoun. Yours can refer to one or more people.
1. pronoun
A speaker or writer uses yours to refer to something that belongs or relates to the person or people that they are talking or writing to.
I'll take my coat upstairs. Shall I take yours, Roberta?
I believe Paul was a friend of yours.
If yours is a high-stress job, it is important that you learn how to cope.
2. convention
People write yours, yours sincerely, or yours faithfully at the end of a letter before they sign their name.
With best regards, Yours, George.
Yours faithfully, Michael Moore, London Business School.
Waiting to hear from you, Yours sincerely, William Faulkner.
3. yours truly
English Easy Learning GrammarPossessive pronounsPossessive pronouns are used when you want to indicate who owns or is associated withan item. All those books are hers. Those suitcases are ours. Are ... Read more
yours in British English
(jɔːz, jʊəz)
pronoun
1.
something or someone belonging to or associated in some way with you
I've eaten yours
2.
your family
greetings to you and yours
3.
used in conventional closing phrases at the end of a letter
yours sincerely
yours faithfully
4. of yours
5. what's yours?
yours in American English
(jʊrz; often jɔrz)
pronoun
that or those belonging to you
the possessive form of you, used without a following noun, often after of [that book is yours; yours are better; is she a friend of yours?]
Word origin
ME youres < your + gen. -es: hence, in form, a double poss.
Examples of 'yours' in a sentence
yours
Only then will the road to glorious indifference be yours to take.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The following two ended with "yours very sincerely " and "yours most sincerely".
Davey, Ray Rev. & Cole, John A Channel of Peace (1993)
The meat is yours to take home.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Five years ago people still bothered with yours sincerely.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
It is not yours to take back or deny.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
And it is as if a hand has come and taken yours.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Only suppose that your mother 's health or yours should suffer.
Elizabeth Gaskell North and South (1855)
Why don't you take yours with you?
Len Deighton Bomber
I will not take what is yours and give it to the Lord.
Christianity Today (2000)
THIS week 's giveaway from yours truly is an absolute belter.
The Sun (2014)
So now it's time to take care of yours, which will help with your throat.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
If you rarely take photos on yours, for example, why go for a great camera.
The Sun (2011)
Swap childcare: Find a friend whose working hours complement yours and take the childcare duties in turns.
The Sun (2014)
CANCER Whose heart matches yours exactly?
The Sun (2014)
I must admit I was slightly disappointed when it did arrive and ended with just "yours sincerely ".
Davey, Ray Rev. & Cole, John A Channel of Peace (1993)
In other languages
yours
British English: yours /jɔːz; jʊəz/ PRONOUN
Yours refers to something belonging to the people that you are talking to.
His hair is longer than yours.
American English: yours
Arabic: مِلْكُك
Brazilian Portuguese: seu, seus
Chinese: 您的
Croatian: vaš
Czech: váš
Danish: din
Dutch: van jou
European Spanish: tuyo
Finnish: sinun tai teidän
French: le tien
German: Ihrer
Greek: δικός σου
Italian: il tuo
Japanese: あなたのもの
Korean: 당신의 것
Norwegian: din
Polish: twój
European Portuguese: seu, seus
Romanian: al tău
Russian: ваш
Latin American Spanish: suyo
Swedish: din
Thai: ของคุณ
Turkish: sizinki
Ukrainian: твій
Vietnamese: cái của bạn
All related terms of 'yours'
of yours
belonging to or associated with you
up yours
a vulgar expression of contempt or refusal
yours truly
You write Yours truly at the end of a formal letter to someone you do not know very well . You write your signature after the words 'Yours truly'.
what's yours?
what would you like to drink ?
yours ever / ever yours
You can write ' Yours ever ' or ' Ever yours ' at the end of a letter before you sign your name, as an affectionate way of ending the letter.
you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours
People say ' You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours ' to mean that one person helps another on condition that the second person helps them in return .
you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours
said to mean that one person helps another on condition that the second person helps them in return
Chinese translation of 'yours'
yours
(jɔːz)
pron
(of one person) 你的 (nǐ de)
(of more than one person) 你们(們)的 (nǐmen de)
is this yours?这(這)是你/你们(們)的吗(嗎)? (zhè shì nǐ/nǐmen de ma?)
a friend of yours你/你们(們)的一个(個)朋友 (nǐ/nǐmen de yī gè péngyou)