👤 Personal Pronouns
Subject, accusative, and dative pronouns — plus formal vs. informal address
Subject Pronouns (Nominative)
German has more subject pronouns than English because it distinguishes between informal singular (du), informal plural (ihr), and formal (Sie). The formal "Sie" is always capitalized and used with the same verb forms as "sie" (they).
| German | English | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | |
| du | you (informal, singular) | friends, family, children |
| er | he | |
| sie | she | |
| es | it | |
| wir | we | |
| ihr | you (informal, plural) | group of friends |
| sie | they | |
| Sie | you (formal) | strangers, authority, professional |
Formal vs. Informal: du vs. Sie
Choosing between "du" and "Sie" is a key social skill in German. Using "du" with strangers can seem rude, while using "Sie" with close friends sounds cold and distant. Use "du" with: friends, family, children, fellow students, colleagues who offer it. Use "Sie" with: strangers, older people, in professional settings, customer service. The shift from "Sie" to "du" is significant — the older or higher-ranking person usually initiates it by saying "Wir können uns duzen" (We can use du).
Accusative Pronouns (Direct Object)
When a pronoun is the direct object of a verb, it changes form. Most accusative pronouns look similar to the nominative, but "ich" becomes "mich," "du" becomes "dich," and the masculine "er" becomes "ihn."
| Nominative | Accusative | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ich | mich | Er sieht mich. (He sees me.) |
| du | dich | Ich sehe dich. (I see you.) |
| er | ihn | Ich sehe ihn. (I see him.) |
| sie (she) | sie | Ich sehe sie. (I see her.) |
| es | es | Ich sehe es. (I see it.) |
| wir | uns | Er sieht uns. (He sees us.) |
| ihr | euch | Ich sehe euch. (I see you all.) |
| sie (they) | sie | Ich sehe sie. (I see them.) |
| Sie (formal) | Sie | Ich sehe Sie. (I see you.) |
Dative Pronouns (Indirect Object)
When a pronoun is the indirect object (the person receiving something), it takes the dative form. The dative is used after many common verbs like "geben" (to give), "helfen" (to help), and "danken" (to thank).
| Nominative | Dative | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ich | mir | Gib mir das Buch. (Give me the book.) |
| du | dir | Ich helfe dir. (I help you.) |
| er | ihm | Ich gebe ihm Geld. (I give him money.) |
| sie (she) | ihr | Ich danke ihr. (I thank her.) |
| es | ihm | Ich gebe ihm Wasser. (I give it water.) |
| wir | uns | Hilf uns! (Help us!) |
| ihr | euch | Ich gebe euch Zeit. (I give you all time.) |
| sie (they) | ihnen | Ich helfe ihnen. (I help them.) |
| Sie (formal) | Ihnen | Ich danke Ihnen. (I thank you.) |
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