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A1–A24 min read8 examples with audio

Du or Sie in German

Know who to address with du, ihr or Sie, use the matching verb and pronoun forms, and handle the switch to du politely.

German has three words for 'you': du for one person you know well, ihr for several of them, and Sie for anyone you address formally.

Choosing wrong isn't a disaster, but it can sound cold or too familiar. A few simple rules cover most situations.

Three ways to say 'you'

Each form has its own verb ending. Sie always takes the same verb form as wir and sie (they).

kommen

  • dudu kommstone person, informal
  • ihrihr kommtseveral, informal
  • SieSie kommenone or more, formal

When to say du

  • Family, friends, children and pets.
  • Classmates, students and most people under about 25.
  • Many workplaces, clubs, sports teams and online.
  • When someone offers it to you.

  • Kommst du mit ins Kino?

    Are you coming to the cinema?

  • Habt ihr schon gegessen?

    Have you (all) eaten yet?

When to say Sie

  • Adults you don't know: in shops, on the street.
  • Officials, doctors, customers and business contacts.
  • People you call Herr or Frau plus surname.
  • If in doubt, start with Sie.

  • Entschuldigung, können Sie mir helfen?

    Excuse me, can you help me?

  • Wie heißen Sie?

    What's your name?

All the forms of 'you'

Formal Sie, Ihnen and Ihr are always capitalised. Without the capital they mean 'they', 'them' or 'her'.

du (informal, one)

  • Nominativedu
  • Accusativedich
  • Dativedir
  • Possessivedein

ihr (informal, several)

  • Nominativeihr
  • Accusativeeuch
  • Dativeeuch
  • Possessiveeuer

Sie (formal)

  • NominativeSie
  • AccusativeSie
  • DativeIhnen
  • PossessiveIhr

  • Ist das Ihr Koffer?

    Is that your suitcase?

  • Vielen Dank, ich rufe Sie morgen an.

    Thank you, I'll call you tomorrow.

Switching to du

Usually the older person or the one with the higher position offers du. The verbs are duzen (say du) and siezen (say Sie).

  • Wollen wir uns nicht duzen?

    Shall we use du with each other?

  • Ich bin übrigens Jana. Sag einfach du zu mir.

    I'm Jana, by the way. Just call me du.

Common mistakes

  • ✗ Können sie mir helfen?

    ✓ Können Sie mir helfen?

    Formal Sie is always written with a capital S.

  • ✗ Sie kommst aus Spanien?

    ✓ Sie kommen aus Spanien?

    Sie takes the -en verb form, like wir.

  • ✗ Hallo Herr Weber, wie geht es dir?

    ✓ Hallo Herr Weber, wie geht es Ihnen?

    Herr plus surname normally means Sie.

Questions learners ask

When should I use du instead of Sie?

Use du with friends, family, children and people your age in casual settings. Use Sie with adults you don't know and in professional situations.

Who offers the du first?

Traditionally the older person or the one with the higher status. Among young people and in many companies, du is simply the default.

Is Sie singular or plural?

Both. Sie is used for one person or a group when you speak formally, and the verb is always plural: Kommen Sie mit?

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