Thou and Ye
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In many languages there are at least two words for “you”.
This used to be the case in English as well. Centuries ago, there were a couple of ways of saying “you”.
Thou was the singular form of you, and ye was used in the plural. Later, thou was used for friends, and you was used formally.
Nowadays, however, English speakers only use the word you.
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How to express courtesy to older people in English when talking to them and when there is only "you" for both singular and plural?
That is a good question because in English this formality is not as easy to define as in other languages. We would say "sir" or "madam" to an older person when we are addressing them. Also we would say "good morning" instead of "hi" when we greet them.