The choice English stopped making
English once had thou for a familiar person and you for everyone else, and kept only you. German kept both. Every time you speak to someone directly you choose between du and Sie, and the choice shows in the pronoun and in the verb ending. Calling a stranger du is roughly as loud as calling a colleague mate in a job interview. The safe rule: with adults you do not know, use Sie until they offer you du.
The same question, three ways
Wie heißt du?
What's your name?
to a child or a friend
Wie heißt ihr?
What are your names?
to a group of friends
Wie heißen Sie?
What is your name?
to someone you have just met at work
What the verb does
Sie takes the same verb form as wir and sie (they): for most verbs the infinitive, and for sein it is sind. That means one verb form for one person and for many, with no new endings to learn.
du, ihr and Sie
| Pronoun | kommen | heißen | haben | sein |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| du | kommst | heißt | hast | bist |
| ihr | kommt | heißt | habt | seid |
| Sie | kommen | heißen | haben | sind |
The Sie row is identical to the wir and sie (they) forms.
From du to Sie
Capital letters matter: Sie, Ihnen and Ihr (polite) are always capitalised. Small sie means she or they, and sie kommt (she comes) has a different verb form than Sie kommen.
Everyday openings in the Sie form
Woher kommen Sie?
Where are you from?
Sprechen Sie Englisch?
Do you speak English?
Haben Sie einen Moment Zeit?
Do you have a moment?
Sind Sie Frau Weber?
Are you Ms Weber?
Which one, and who decides
The dividing line is the relationship, not age alone. Two strangers of thirty in a lift use Sie; two strangers of thirty at a climbing gym use du.
du or Sie?
du: close, informal
Family, friends, children and teenagers, students among themselves, club members, colleagues in workplaces that use du, and the internet. Also anyone who has offered you du.
Kommst du mit ins Kino?
Are you coming to the cinema?
Hast du kurz Zeit?
Do you have a second?
Sie: professional, public, unfamiliar
Shops, offices, doctors, officials, landlords, older neighbours and every adult stranger. Combine it with Herr or Frau plus the surname, never with the first name.
Können Sie mir bitte helfen?
Could you help me, please?
Herr Meier, haben Sie das Formular?
Mr Meier, do you have the form?
Sie, Ihnen, Ihr
Sie has two companions: the possessive Ihr (your) and Ihnen (to you), which you will mostly meet in the phrase Wie geht es Ihnen? Learn these as whole phrases for now.
Wie geht es Ihnen?
How are you?
Ist das Ihr Platz?
Is that your seat?
Wie ist Ihr Name?
What is your name?
Ich verstehe Sie nicht.
I don't understand you.
Sie stays Sie as an object
A short exchange
Praxis
Guten Tag, wie heißen Sie bitte?
Hello, what's your name, please?
Patientin
Mein Name ist Berger, Julia Berger.
My name is Berger, Julia Berger.
Praxis
Haben Sie Ihre Karte dabei?
Do you have your card with you?
Patientin
Ja, hier bitte.
Yes, here you are.
Praxis
Danke. Frau Berger, Sie können jetzt reinkommen.
Thank you. Ms Berger, you can come in now.
