Whats the difference between Du and Sie?

Just like pretty much every other European language except for English, German has a familiar and polite form of addressing someone in the second person. Du is the familiar (informal) form, whereas Sie is the official, formal way.

What is German du?

There are three ways in German to directly address a person or persons — du (singular familiar), ihr (plural familiar), and Sie (single and plural formal). At its most basic, the rule is to use the first two for children and people you know well, and Sie with adults you don’t.

Is Du singular or plural German?

If you want to say “you” in German, you would generally use “du” (informal singular), “Sie” (formal singular or plural—capitalized in both cases), or “ihr” (informal plural). But German has even more forms of the word “you”, including: dich, dir, euch, and Inhen.

Is Du masculine or feminine in German?

It can also mean “she” or “it” (when the gender of the object is feminine, as in die Tür). When capitalized, Sie means ” you” in the singular. But here the focus is the singular form of “you”, which in German can be expressed as “du” or “Sie”. In all other situations, you use sie.

How do you use DU in German?

For family and relatives, close friends, young children, pets, and God, the familiar du is used (ihr – “you guys” – in the plural). People in the same social group or class, such as students or factory workers, usually address each other as du.

Is Du informal or formal?

Regardless of whether it is capitalised or not, Du/du is generally used when talking to minors, good acquaintances, friends and family members. Therefore, it is an informal form of address. Although the polite form of address, Sie, is always capitalised, there are two different variations with Du/du.

What language is the word du?

(in names of French derivation) a contraction of de and the article le:Joachim du Bellay.

Is Das neutral in German?

Before doing anything else, it is crucial to learn which version of “the” is used for each gender. For masculine nouns, the word der is used, for feminine nouns, you use the die prefix, and the word das in German is used for neuter nouns.

Is Du formal or informal?

One of the first thing you learn in your German lessons is that the English ‘you’ can be the formal ‘Sie’ (for singular and plural) and the informal ‘du’ (or ‘ihr’ for plural).

What is the difference between Bist Du and Sind Sie?

You are has three forms: in the single if you’re talking about one person (du bist), in the plural for more than one person (sie sind), and in the polite way (Sie sind).

What is the difference between Du and Sie in German?

Du and Sie. As in other European languages, German has both a formal and a familiar form of “you.” The formal Sie is used to address strangers, business associates, and acquaintances ( Bekannte, as opposed to close friends, Freunde ), and for most situations outside the family.

Is du singular or plural in German?

Take Care When Using ‘Du’ and ‘Sie’ German makes a clear distinction between the singular, familiar “you” (​ du) and the plural, formal “you” (Sie) in social situations. Unlike in English, most European and other languages also have both a familiar and a formal “you.”

What is the’du/Sie’dilemma in German?

The ‘du/Sie’ dilemma in German. For those learning German, choosing between the informal “du” and the formal “Sie” to address someone can be tricky. But even for native German speakers, it’s getting harder to decide – after all, language changes. The “du/Sie” choice in German is sometimes a dilemma even for the most sophisticated speakers.

Is it’du/Sie’or’du’in German?

For those learning German, choosing between the informal “du” and the formal “Sie” to address someone can be tricky. But even for native German speakers, it’s getting harder to decide – after all, language changes. The “du/Sie” choice in German is sometimes a dilemma even for the most sophisticated speakers.