Lerne den Unterschied zwischen formellem und informellem Deutsch: Höflichkeitsformen, Pluralformen, kurze vs. lange Sätze und wann Umgangssprache oder formelle Sprache angemessen ist. Praktische Tipps und typische Beispiele.
Learn the difference between formal and informal German: polite forms, plural pronouns, short and long sentences, and when to use slang or formal language. Practical tips and common examples.
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German distinguishes sharply between formal and informal address, affecting pronouns, verb forms, and sometimes vocabulary. This guide covers the key differences and when to use each.
Du vs Sie
Verwenden Sie du für die informelle Ansprache von Freunden, Familie und jungen Leuten; verwenden Sie Sie für die formelle Ansprache gegenüber Fremden, Vorgesetzten und in beruflichen Kontexten. Sie wird in der Schrift immer großgeschrieben.
Use du for informal address to friends, family, and young people; use Sie for formal address to strangers, superiors, and in professional settings. Sie is always capitalized in writing.
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Verb Forms
With du, use the 2nd-person singular verb ending; with Sie, use the 3rd-person plural form. This affects sentence endings and sometimes word order in questions.
kaufen heute die neuen Prospekte ein
You (formal) are buying the new brochures today.
Complete the formal sentence with the correct verb: ___ (please) kaufen heute die neuen Prospekte ein.
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Vocabulary
Some everyday words change depending on formality: for example, bitte stays the same, but requests may be softened differently in each register. Polite formulas like darf ich... appear in formal speech.
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Addressing Groups
Use ihr for an informal group and Sie for a formal group. Sie remains capitalized and takes the 3rd-person plural verb form; ihr takes the 2nd-person plural ending and is lowercase.
seid heute sehr pünktlich
You all (informal) are very punctual today.
Complete with the informal pronoun for a group: ___ (you all/informal) seid heute sehr pünktlich.
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Turning Sie into Du
Switching from Sie to du usually requires mutual agreement or an explicit offer called the "Du-Angebot." This change signals closer social ties and is often ceremonious in workplaces or clubs.
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Special Cases
Children are usually addressed with du even by strangers; service staff may receive Sie in customer interactions; some regions or communities favor one form more consistently. Always follow local norms.
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Summary
Use Sie for politeness and distance, du for familiarity. Match the pronoun with the correct verb form, and choose vocabulary that fits the register. When in doubt, start formal and switch to informal if invited.
Summary
Use Sie for politeness and distance, du for familiarity. Match the pronoun with the correct verb form, and choose vocabulary that fits the register. When in doubt, start formal and switch to informal if invited.
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