ihr
/iːr/
In German, 'you (plural)' is expressed as ihr.
The phrase is a pronoun used to address two or more people directly.
Which one should you use?
ihr is used when addressing a group of two or more people whom you address with the informal 'du' (singular). In contrast, you should use Sie instead of ihr when addressing a group of people in a formal context, such as colleagues or strangers.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Swiss German dialects, such as Bernese, a form of ihr is still used to address one person politely.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form ihr is used when the pronoun is the subject of the sentence (nominative). However, the pronoun ihr changes to euch when it functions as the direct object (accusative) or the indirect object (dative) in a sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
/iːr/
Did you know?
- The English word 'ye' is a close relative of the German ihr, both descending from the same ancient Germanic roots used to address groups.
- A German speaker might use ihr to address a group of animals or objects if they are speaking to them as if they were friends.
- In some highly traditional or aristocratic circles, the capitalized Ihr was used as a 'polite plural' even when speaking to only one person.
Examples in context
- Hallo, wie geht es euch?Hello, how are you all?
- Könnt ihr mir bitte helfen?Can you all help me, please?
- Ihr habt gute Arbeit geleistet.You all have done good work.
- Ihr seid toll!You (plural) are great!
- Was macht ihr heute?What are you all doing today?
- Seid ihr bereit?Are you all ready?
- Ich habe euch alle lieb, ihr seid toll.I love you all, you are great.
Example conversation
Julian is talking to Laura and her friend.
- JulianHallo! Kommt ihr mit ins Kino?Hello! Are you coming to the cinema?
- LauraJa, wir kommen gerne mit.Yes, we would love to come along.
- JulianSuper, habt ihr schon Tickets?Great, do you already have tickets?
- LauraNein, wir kaufen sie jetzt.No, we are buying them now.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ihr, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ihr, CC BY-SA 4.0.
