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• yo
  yo

  interjection

  (used as an exclamation to get someone's attention, express excitement, greet someone, etc.)
• y.o.
  y.o.

  abbreviation

  year old; years old.

yo

¹ American  

[yoh] / joʊ /

interjection

1. (used as an exclamation to get someone's attention, express excitement, greet someone, etc.)

2. here; present: used especially in answer to a roll call.

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y.o. ² American  

abbreviation

1. year old; years old.

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yo British  

/ jəʊ /

1. an expression used as a greeting, to attract someone's attention, etc

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Usage

What is a basic definition of yo? Yo is an interjection that is used for getting someone’s attention, greeting someone, or expressing strong feelings. Yo is also used to mean “here” or “present,” as in response to a roll call. Yo is a very flexible interjection that is used similarly to hey. The specific meaning of yo depends on the context it is used in. Yo is most often used informally and wouldn’t be used in formal writing that isn’t quotes or dialogue.

• Real-life examples: You might greet a pal with a friendly “Yo!” Or you might try to get the attention of a distracted driver with an angry “Yo!”
• Used in a sentence: Yo, Teddy! How is it going? 

Yo is also used to mean “here” or “present,” especially in response to someone calling your name.

• Real-life examples: It might be too casual to say yo when your teacher reads your name during roll call, but your basketball coach probably won’t mind. And when someone asks who in a group wants pizza, you can definitely raise your hand and say “Yo!” to mean that you do.

Etymology

Origin of yo

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425

Example Sentences

Jo says they were at a basketball game when three boys called over: "Yo, Jo and Kush, can you sign us?"

From BBC • May 20, 2026

She’s like, “I was blessed by God. Yo, I’m on my period.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong Un’s sister, praised President Lee’s “very fortunate and wise behavior” following the apology, lowering tensions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

Earlier this week, Kim Yo Jong, a powerful confidante of her brother Kim Jong Un, said the joint drills "may cause unimaginably terrible consequences".

From Barron's • Mar. 14, 2026

It rises, a thrashing of wings, up through her trachea—until Yo retches.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez