Pronouns, and formal vs informal “you”
Pronouns · A1
Let’s start with the words you’ll lean on in literally every sentence: I, you, we, and so on. They’re short and you’ll have them memorised in no time. The one twist English doesn’t prepare you for: German has two words for “you” — a casual one and a polite one — and choosing between them is really just about who you’re talking to.
- •These little words do a lot of heavy lifting — ich (I) and du/Sie (you) will be in your very first conversations.
- •Use du for people you’d be relaxed around — friends, family, kids. Talking to a group of them? Use ihr.
- •Use Sie for anyone you’d treat politely — a shopkeeper, a stranger, your doctor. Handy bonus: it’s the same for one person or many.
- •Not sure which to pick? Start with Sie. Nobody is ever offended by polite, and if they want to be casual they’ll happily invite you to switch to du.
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | ich (I) | wir (we) |
| 2nd (informal) | du (you) | ihr (you all) |
| 3rd | er / sie / es (he / she / it) | sie (they) |
| Register | Form |
|---|---|
| Formal | Sie (always capitalised) |
Ich heiße Anna.— My name is Anna.
Wie heißt du?— What’s your name? (informal)
Wie heißen Sie?— What’s your name? (formal)
Wir wohnen in Berlin.— We live in Berlin.
Watch out: Keep an eye on that capital letter: Sie (polite “you”) is always capitalised, while sie with a small s means “she” or “they”. They sound identical, so the capital — and the situation — are your clues.
Practice runs four steps: fill in the blank → German→English → English→German → use it live with the tutor.