theyve

They've is the contracted form of they have, used as an auxiliary in perfect tenses with the pronoun they. In standard orthography, it is written as they’ve, with an apostrophe indicating the omitted letters from have.

Usage extends to both plural and singular uses of they. It appears in present perfect constructions such as They’ve finished the project, and in the present perfect continuous as They’ve been waiting. Because they can function as either a plural pronoun or a singular pronoun (the increasingly common singular they), they’ve also reflects that flexibility in its agreement with verbs and determiners.

Distinctions with other contractions are important. They’ve represents have, not would or had. For those meanings, other forms are used: they’d for they would or they had, and they’ll for they will. Context typically clarifies which meaning is intended, but writers should be cautious in ambiguous sentences or in formal contexts.

Style and formality notes indicate that contractions like they’ve are common in everyday writing and journalism, but some forms of formal writing may prefer the expanded form they have. This can aid clarity, especially for readers who are less familiar with contractions.

Orthography and origin: the contraction arose in Early Modern English as patterns of contraction became standard. The apostrophe marks the omission of the letters from have. Some nonstandard texts or certain digital media may render it without an apostrophe as theyve, but standard English uses they’ve. The construction also intersects with the broader adoption of singular they in contemporary English.