Addressing people directly
In English, we use "you" for everyone. In German, you choose between an informal and a formal "you".
The informal "you": du
Use the informal du with friends, family, children, and peers.
To conjugate verbs for du, drop the -en ending and add -st to the stem.
| You live in Germany. | Du wohnst in Deutschland. |
If the verb stem ends in -d or -t (like arbeiten), add an extra -e- to make it easier to pronounce, resulting in -est.
| You work very well. | Du arbeitest sehr gut. |
Asking yes/no questions
To ask a yes/no question, move the conjugated verb to the first position, followed immediately by the subject.
| Do you come from Germany? | Kommst du aus Deutschland? |
| Are you doing something now? | Machst du jetzt etwas? |
The formal "you": Sie
Use the formal Sie with strangers or in professional settings. It is always capitalized, no matter where it appears in the sentence.
To conjugate verbs for Sie, use the base infinitive form, which ends in -en.
| You come from Germany. | Sie kommen aus Deutschland. |
| Do you live in Germany? | Wohnen Sie in Deutschland? |
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