The word ‘you’ is classified as a pronoun, specifically a personal pronoun. It is not categorized as either a common noun or a proper noun.
To clarify:
- Common Nouns: These are general names for people, places, or things (e.g., ‘city’, ‘girl’, ‘car’). They are not capitalized unless they begin a sentence.
- Proper Nouns: These are specific names for particular people, places, or organizations (e.g., ‘New York’, ‘Alice’, ‘Toyota’). Proper nouns are always capitalized.
Since ‘you’ does not fit into either of these categories, it stands on its own as a distinct form of reference in the English language, used to directly address someone or a group of people.