Purpose

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to correctly choose between “du” and “Sie” based on the social context, extending Part 1, Lesson 6’s introduction of “ihr.”

Lesson Explanation

German has two words for formal/informal “you,” genuinely mirroring the French tu/vous distinction covered in the earlier French course:

du  — informal, singular:   used with friends, family, children, peers
Sie — formal, singular or plural: used with strangers, elders, professional contexts

Recall from Part 1, Lesson 6 that ihr is genuinely distinct from both — it is specifically the informal plural “you all,” used when speaking informally to more than one person, while Sie covers formal contexts regardless of number.

Using du with someone expecting Sie can come across as disrespectful; the general default with someone new, especially in a professional context, is Sie. Switching to du typically happens only after the other person suggests it directly, often with Wollen wir uns duzen? (“Shall we use du with each other?”).

Practice Questions