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-How to carry an interaction with native speakers with ease -Pronunciation drills so effective, you'll be mistaken as a native speaker -How to speak the type of German native speakers use each day |
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German Pronouns
Words that we use to describe people, or ourselves, are called pronouns. In English, the use of pronouns is simpler than in German. It is still rather straight foward in German, so don't get too worried!
| I you (formal) you (casual) h e she they w e it |
ich sie du er sie sie wir es |
You may be a bit surprised by what you see in the table above. You might be thinking, "Why are there two words for 'you'?". The reason for this is that sie is used in more formal situations and du is used when you are talking to a friend or someone you know. It used to be the same in English, however the use of words such as "thee" and "thou" ceased some time ago.
So when do you know when to use "sie" and "du"? If you are meeting someone for the first time, it is usual to use "sie" until they tell you otherwise. It is also recommended to use with people such as doctors, teachers, police etc etc. Once you get to know someone, feel free to use "du".
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