English — Generic you / one / they
English has no single impersonal pronoun. It uses you and one to talk about people in general, and they to refer to unspecified authorities or sources, as in You never know or They say it will rain.
How it works
Use you for people in general in everyday, informal speech (You can't park here). Use one for the same idea in formal or general statements (One should always be polite). Use they for an unnamed authority, institution, or common opinion (They say the tickets are free; They've raised the taxes again).
Examples
| Example | Meaning and register |
|---|---|
| You never know what will happen. | you = people in general; everyday, informal |
| You can't smoke in here. | you = anyone in this situation, not the listener personally |
| One should always be polite. | one = people in general; formal, rather written |
| One never knows when it might be useful. | one = same impersonal sense as you, higher register |
| They say it's going to rain. | they = an unspecified source or common opinion |
| They've closed the road for repairs. | they = an unnamed authority or institution |
Good to know
Don't overuse one — in ordinary conversation it sounds stiff or old-fashioned, and everyday English prefers you (You never know). Once you choose one, keep it consistent: repeat it or use one's/oneself (One must mind one's manners), not his or your, in the same sentence. Generic they takes a plural verb (They say, not They says) even though no specific plural group is meant.