sie ist
The English phrase 'she is' is translated into German as sie ist.
The phrase sie ist is used to describe a female person or animal.
Which one should you use?
While sie ist means 'she is', the capitalized form Sie sind is used to mean 'You are' in a formal context. Additionally, sie sind is the plural form used to mean 'they are'.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'they are' instead of 'she is', you must change the verb from ist to sind.
Did you know?
- When using sie ist to identify a profession, German often omits the article, so you would say Sie ist Lehrerin instead of 'She is a teacher'.
- The word sie shares a prehistoric ancestor with the Old English word sēo, which meant 'that one' rather than 'she'.
- In spoken German, the distinction between sie ist and the formal Sie sind is clear, but in written text, a lowercase sie at the start of a sentence can be ambiguous.
Examples in context
- Sie ist ein DJ.She is a DJ.This sentence is useful for identifying someone's profession.Tatoeba #2016123 by Vortarulo, translation #6179408 by RobinvanderVliet
- Sie ist Li Ying.She is Li Ying.This sentence is useful for identifying someone by name.Tatoeba #695890 by Vortarulo, translation #697425 by Zifre
- Sie ist im Büro.She is at the office.This sentence is useful for stating someone's location.Tatoeba #3331995 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2934857 by sundown
- 996 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Maximilian and Laura are looking at a photo of a friend.
- MaximilianWer ist das?Who is that?
- LauraSie ist meine Schwester.She is my sister.
- MaximilianSie ist sehr nett.She is very kind.
- LauraJa, das stimmt.Yes, that is true.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sie, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
