German has two ways to say "you" to one person: du, which is informal, and Sie, which is formal. Choosing between them is called duzen and siezen, and Germans notice the choice immediately. Use du too early and you can come across as pushy. Stick with Sie too long and you can seem cold. This guide explains how each form works, when to use it, and how the switch from Sie to du happens.
The forms of "you" in German
| Form | Number | Register | Verb form |
|---|---|---|---|
| du | Singular | Informal | 2nd person singular (du kommst) |
| ihr | Plural | Informal | 2nd person plural (ihr kommt) |
| Sie | Singular and plural | Formal | 3rd person plural (Sie kommen) |
Formal Sie is always capitalized, in every position in the sentence. That's how you tell it apart from sie, which means "she" or "they". Kommen Sie mit? means "Are you coming along?", while Kommt sie mit? means "Is she coming along?" Formal Sie also takes the same verb form for one person or a whole group, so Sie can mean "you, sir", "you, madam" or "all of you".
When to use du
- Friends, family, partners and children
- Other students, and generally young people among themselves
- Teammates in sports clubs, and people in most hobby groups
- Colleagues, in many startups, creative agencies and international companies
- Online, in forums, games and social media
- Brands that want to sound casual. IKEA famously uses du in Germany.
Children are always addressed as du. Teachers use du with pupils until their mid-teens, and pupils use Sie with teachers.
When to use Sie
- Adult strangers, including people on the street and in shops
- Officials, police, doctors and other professionals
- Your boss and colleagues in traditional companies, banks, law firms and the public sector, unless they offer du
- Customers, if you work in service
- Older people you don't know well
- Formal writing: job applications, emails to companies and official letters
When you meet an adult you don't know, start with Sie. In a bar full of 25-year-olds, or at a university, du is normal from the start. Watch what others do.
How the switch to du happens
In German culture, moving from Sie to du is a small but real step. It usually happens when the older or more senior person offers it (das Du anbieten). Common ways to offer:
- Wollen wir uns duzen? ("Shall we use du?")
- Wir können uns gerne duzen. ("We can use du, if you like.")
- Ich bin übrigens Thomas. ("I'm Thomas, by the way.") The first name is the signal.
Once you've agreed to use du, going back to Sie is unusual and feels like a deliberate snub. If you're junior, it's best to wait to be offered du rather than suggest it yourself.
There are also in-between forms. Some workplaces use Sie with first names, sometimes called the Hamburger Sie: Anna, können Sie mir helfen? The reverse, du with a surname, is known as the Münchner Du and is much rarer.
How the verbs change
| Infinitive | du | ihr | Sie |
|---|---|---|---|
| sein (be) | du bist | ihr seid | Sie sind |
| haben (have) | du hast | ihr habt | Sie haben |
| kommen (come) | du kommst | ihr kommt | Sie kommen |
| können (can) | du kannst | ihr könnt | Sie können |
| heißen (be called) | du heißt | ihr heißt | Sie heißen |
| Command: kommen | Komm! | Kommt! | Kommen Sie! |
| Command: sich setzen | Setz dich! | Setzt euch! | Setzen Sie sich! |
The pronouns change by case too:
| Case | du | ihr | Sie |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accusative | dich | euch | Sie |
| Dative | dir | euch | Ihnen |
| Possessive | dein | euer | Ihr |
Example sentences: du vs Sie
| English | du | Sie |
|---|---|---|
| How are you? | Wie geht's dir? | Wie geht es Ihnen? |
| What's your name? | Wie heißt du? | Wie heißen Sie? / Wie ist Ihr Name? |
| Where are you from? | Woher kommst du? | Woher kommen Sie? |
| Can you help me? | Kannst du mir helfen? | Können Sie mir bitte helfen? |
| Do you have a minute? | Hast du kurz Zeit? | Haben Sie kurz Zeit? |
| Have a seat. | Setz dich! | Setzen Sie sich doch! |
| Thanks for your help. | Danke für deine Hilfe! | Vielen Dank für Ihre Hilfe. |
| I'll call you tomorrow. | Ich ruf dich morgen an. | Ich rufe Sie morgen an. |
The register shows in more than the pronoun. The du sentences above are also more casual in style: geht's instead of geht es, and ruf instead of rufe.
Formal and informal emails
The difference is especially clear in writing.
- Formal (Sie): Sehr geehrte Frau Schmidt, … Mit freundlichen Grüßen. Less stiff but still formal: Guten Tag, Frau Schmidt, … Viele Grüße.
- Informal (du): Hallo Anna, or Liebe Anna, … Viele Grüße or Liebe Grüße.
In letters, du and dein may be written with a capital letter (Du, Dein) as a sign of warmth. Both spellings are correct. Formal Sie and Ihr must always be capitalized.
Common mistakes
- Writing sie instead of Sie. Lowercase sie changes the meaning to "she" or "they". Können sie mir helfen? asks whether they can help you.
- Using the wrong verb form. Sie takes the same form as "they": Sie haben, never Sie hast or Sie habt.
- Mixing forms. Können Sie mir deine Nummer geben? switches halfway. With Sie, it's Ihre Nummer.
- Offering du when you're junior. Suggesting du to your new boss or an older neighbor can seem presumptuous. Let them offer.
- Using du with officials. Addressing a police officer or a civil servant as du can be taken as disrespectful.
- Forgetting that ihr is informal. Wo wart ihr? ("Where were you all?") is for friends. To a group of clients, it's Wo waren Sie?
FAQ
Is it rude to use du with strangers?
With adult strangers in formal or everyday public situations, it can be. In shops, at government offices and with older people, use Sie. Among young people, at university, at parties and in many online spaces, du is normal and Sie would sound odd.
Should I use du or Sie at work?
It depends on the company. Many startups and international firms use du throughout, from the intern to the CEO. Traditional companies, banks and the public sector often use Sie, sometimes for years. Follow your colleagues, and let your manager offer du.
Who offers du first?
Usually the older or more senior person, or the woman, by traditional etiquette, although the last rule is fading. Between peers of similar age, either person can suggest it.
Is it the same in Austria and Switzerland?
The grammar is the same. Switzerland tends to switch to du more quickly, and Swiss German speakers use du widely. Austria is close to Germany, with titles like Frau Doktor adding a layer of formality.
Can I go back from du to Sie?
Rarely, and only deliberately. Going back is usually read as a sign that the relationship has cooled, so think carefully before offering du in a professional relationship.