Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| du | /duː/ (stressed) /du/ (standard, unstressed) |
|
| Du | familiar | |
| Sie | /ziː/ | formal, polite |
The terms are subject pronouns used to address the person being spoken to. There is also a verb, siezen, which describes the social practice of addressing someone using the formal Sie instead of the informal du.
Which one should you use?
German distinguishes between the informal du used with friends and family, and the formal Sie used with strangers or in professional settings.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Du and its capitalized form Du are familiar, while Sie is used in formal and polite situations.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The formal Sie is used for both a single person and multiple people, regardless of gender. When addressing a group of people you are on familiar terms with, use ihr instead of du.
How do you pronounce it?
/duː/
What mistakes should you avoid?
When writing, always remember to capitalize the formal Sie. Failing to do so can lead to confusion with the third-person pronoun sie (she/they).
Did you know?
- In some traditional or highly formal settings, switching from Sie to du requires an explicit invitation or agreement called a 'Du-Angebot'.
- The formal Sie is actually a plural pronoun that was borrowed to show respect. It originally meant 'they' or 'them' and was used to elevate the status of the person being addressed.
- The word du is a direct linguistic relative of the archaic English word 'thou'. Both words descend from the same Proto-Indo-European root.
Examples in context
- Du bist so süß!You are so sweet!Tatoeba #973765 by jakov, translation #973766 by jakov
- Hast du zu tun?Are you busy?Tatoeba #1305754 by Vortarulo, translation #68948 by adjusting
- Wie alt bist du?How old are you?Tatoeba #480 by ludoviko, translation #436243 by lukaszpp
- Entschuldigen Sie, können Sie mir helfen?Excuse me, can you help me?
- Wie geht es Ihnen?How are you?
- Kannst du mir bitte helfen?Can you help me, please?
- Hilfst du?Do you help?
- Guten Tag! Wie geht es Ihnen?Good day! How are you?
- Was möchten Sie bestellen?What would you like to order?
- Hallo! Wie geht es dir?Hello! How are you?
- 14152 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Felix and Hannah are talking in a park.
- FelixWas machst du hier, Hannah?What are you doing here, Hannah?
- HannahIch warte auf dich, Felix.I am waiting for you, Felix.
- FelixHast du Lust auf Eis?Do you want to get ice cream?
- HannahJa, du bist mein Held!Yes, you are my hero!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “you” translations and entries du, Du, Sie, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Sie, du, sie, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
