Questions & Answers about Sie findet ihr Studium interessant.
In this sentence, does Sie mean she, they, or you (formal)? How can I tell?
Written Sie with a capital S can mean three things in German:
- she (3rd person singular)
- they (3rd person plural)
- you (formal, singular or plural)
In this short sentence Sie findet ihr Studium interessant, context decides which one it is.
- Because the verb is findet (3rd person singular), Sie here can only mean:
- she, or
- you (formal), talking to one person politely.
- It cannot mean they, because that would need the plural verb: Sie finden ihr Studium interessant.
In most textbooks and isolated examples like this, it is usually intended as she. In a real text or conversation, you’d know from the wider context whether it’s she or polite you.
What is the function of findet here? Is it “to find” like discovering something, or something else?
The verb finden has two main uses:
Physical finding:
- Ich finde meinen Schlüssel nicht. – I can’t find my key.
Expressing an opinion / evaluation (the use in this sentence):
- Sie findet ihr Studium interessant. – She finds her studies interesting / She thinks her studies are interesting.
In this sentence, findet means “considers / thinks (that something is)”, not “locates”.
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