Personalpronomen (Personal Pronouns)
In German, every sentence must have a stated subject (person) — it is not enough for the verb ending to show who is doing something, as it can in some languages; you cannot just say 'gehe', you must say 'ich gehe' (I go). That is why being able to use the personal pronouns automatically is the first and most basic step to building German sentences.
In German, there are 6 personal pronouns: ich (I), du (you), er/sie/es (he/she/it - masculine/feminine/neuter), wir (we), ihr (you - informal address to more than one person), sie (they). In addition, capitalised 'Sie' is the formal 'you' and can be used for both singular and plural. 'Sie' is always written with a capital S, even inside a sentence.
An important point to note here: the choice of 'er/sie/es' is not only based on biological gender for living beings, but on the grammatical gender (der/die/das) of each noun. So even though 'der Tisch' (table) refers to an object, the pronoun 'er' is used when referring to it again (Der Tisch ist neu. Er ist neu.), because 'Tisch' is a masculine word. In the same way, 'sie' is used for 'die Lampe', and 'es' for 'das Buch'. The pronoun 'es' is also used in subjectless situations such as the weather and the time: 'Es regnet.' (It is raining), 'Es ist neun Uhr.' (It is nine o'clock).
Personal pronouns
| German | English | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | - |
| du | you | informal, singular |
| er / sie / es | o | masculine / feminine / neutral |
| wir | we | - |
| ihr | you | informal, plural |
| sie | they | plural |
| Sie | you | formal, singular & plural |
EXAMPLES
Ich komme aus der Türkei.
I am from Turkey.
Wie heißen Sie?
What is your name? (formal)
Wie heißt du?
What's your name? (informal)
Sie kommen aus Deutschland.
They come from Germany. / You are from Germany.
Exam tip
- • In the exam, understand from the context whether to use 'du' or 'Sie': in a formal setting (Prüfung, job interview), always use 'Sie'.
SHORT TEST
1. Which is correct for asking an official 'What is your name?' formally?
2. Which is the correct pronoun for the sentence 'She comes from Turkey.'?
3. Which pronoun is used to ask two of your friends (informal, plural) 'Where are you from?'?
4. How is the pronoun 'Sie' capitalised within a sentence?
5. Which is the correct pronoun for the sentence 'We come from Germany.'?
6. Which is correct for asking a friend 'What's your name?' informally?