sie
/ziː/
In German, the English phrase 'her' is translated as sie.
The word sie is a pronoun used to refer to a female person or animal that has been previously mentioned.
Which one should you use?
The word sie is highly ambiguous in German. Depending on the grammatical case and the verb conjugation, it can mean 'she', 'her', 'they' or 'them'.
How does it change in a sentence?
sie is used for 'her' when the pronoun serves as the direct object of a verb in the accusative case. However, if the pronoun is used in the dative case, you must use the form ihr instead.
How do you pronounce it?
/ziː/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often struggle to distinguish whether sie means 'she/her' or 'they/them'. To avoid this, look closely at the ending of the conjugated verb, as the verb form will clarify the meaning.
Did you know?
- The word sie is a cognate of the Gothic word si, demonstrating a linguistic link that stretches back to ancient Germanic tribes.
- The word ihr, used for 'her' in the dative case, also doubles as the word for 'her' when showing possession.
- To avoid confusion between 'her' and 'them', German speakers often insert extra words like 'alle' or 'diese' to clarify if they mean one person or a group.
Examples in context
- Er sah sie an.He was looking at her.This sentence shows how to use sie as a direct object.Tatoeba #2342928 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2342599 by Hybrid
- Er zog sie aus.He took off her clothes.Tatoeba #2521821 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #1946887 by Spamster
- Bellt er sie an?Does it bark at her?This sentence shows how the pronoun is used when referring to an animal.Tatoeba #452603 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #42156 by AlanF_US
- Zeig mir bitte ihren neuen Hund.Please show me her new dog.
- 8498 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Felix and Laura are looking for a friend in a crowd.
- FelixWo ist Anna?Where is Anna?
- LauraIch sehe sie nicht.I don't see her.
- FelixHörst du sie?Do you hear her?
- LauraJa, sie ruft uns.Yes, she is calling us.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry sie, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sie, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
