TOPIC · Articles & pronouns

Du oder Sie?

After this lesson you can decide when to use du or Sie and build simple sentences correctly with both forms of address.

In German there are two main ways to say “you”: du and Sie. Choosing the right one is important because it shows how close, polite, or formal the relationship is.

Basic rule: du or Sie?

First a simple orientation:

du: informal, personal, familiar, rather private
Sie: polite, formal, respectful, rather official

If you are unsure, Sie is always the safe and polite choice.

Using du

We use du with people we know well or feel close to. Typical situations:

family: Eltern, Geschwister, Onkel, Tanten, Cousins
friends and close acquaintances
Kinder und Jugendliche (also strangers if they are children)
often Mitschüler, Kommilitonen, Kollegen on the same level (depending on company and culture)

Examples:

German	Meaning
Anna, hast du Zeit?	informal: friend or family member
Gehst du mit uns ins Kino?	invitation in an informal situation
Wo wohnst du?	question to a child or a close person
Was machst du heute Abend?	casual question to a friend

Verb forms with du

With du we use the du-Form of the verb:

Infinitive	du-form	Example	Meaning
kommen	du kommst	Kommst du morgen?	asking a familiar person
arbeiten	du arbeitest	Wo arbeitest du?	informal question
heißen	du heißt	Wie heißt du?	typical question, e.g. to a child

Using Sie

Sie is the polite form of address for one person and for several people. This pronoun is always written with a capital S: Sie.

Typical situations:

with unknown adults in the street, shop, restaurant
in official situations: Behörde, Bank, Arztpraxis
with Vorgesetzten, Lehrern, Dozenten (if nobody clearly offered du)
in formal emails and letters

Examples:

German	Meaning
Entschuldigung, sprechen Sie Englisch?	polite question to a stranger
Könnten Sie mir bitte helfen?	very polite request
Frau Schulz, arbeiten Sie schon lange hier?	question in a formal situation
Wie heißen Sie?	polite way to ask for someone’s name

Verb forms with Sie

With Sie we use the Sie-Form of the verb. It is always the same as the wir-Form:

Infinitive	Sie-form	Example	Meaning
kommen	Sie kommen	Kommen Sie bitte mit.	polite request
arbeiten	Sie arbeiten	Wo arbeiten Sie?	formal question
heißen	Sie heißen	Wie heißen Sie?	polite question

Changing from Sie to du: offering du

Often people switch from Sie to du after some time. This is called das Du anbieten (offering du).

Typical phrases:

German	Meaning
Wollen wir du sagen?	suggestion to switch to du
Wir können gern du sagen.	polite offer to use du
Sagen wir du?	relaxed suggestion

Normally the older person or the person with the higher position offers du.

Tips when you are unsure

When in doubt: start with Sie.
In many companies and at universities, du is common today. Listen to how others speak.
If someone uses du with you, you can answer with du.
In emails: start with Sie, unless the other person writes du.

summaryEn: After this lesson you can decide when to use du or Sie and build simple sentences correctly with both forms of address.