Personal pronouns are the building blocks of every German sentence. Before you can conjugate verbs or build sentences, you need to know which pronoun to use for each person. This lesson covers all nine German personal pronouns and introduces the important sie vs. Sie distinction.
Every German verb is conjugated according to its subject pronoun. Without knowing ich, du, er, etc., you cannot correctly conjugate verbs like sein, haben, or any regular verb. This lesson is the foundation for all lessons that follow.
| German | English | Person / Number |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | 1st person singular |
| du | you (informal, singular) | 2nd person singular |
| er | he | 3rd person singular (masculine) |
| sie | she | 3rd person singular (feminine) |
| es | it | 3rd person singular (neuter) |
| wir | we | 1st person plural |
| ihr | you (informal, plural) | 2nd person plural |
| sie | they | 3rd person plural |
| Sie | you (formal) | Formal address — singular or plural |
One of the first things learners notice is that German has three uses of sie:
Context and verb conjugation usually make the meaning clear. Sie (formal) always uses the same verb form as sie (they).
Two exercise sets are available for this lesson, covering all pronouns and the sie/Sie distinction.
Fill in the German pronoun for each English meaning. Great first step to memorize the full table.
Access Unit 1Read short sentences and fill in the correct pronoun based on the subject (Anna → sie, das Kind → es, etc.).
Access Unit 2Sentences with two or three blanks — combines all pronouns learned so far.
Access Unit 3Focus on the three meanings of sie/Sie with clear context clues to guide you.
Access Unit 1Real-world sentences where you must decide between formal Sie and informal sie.
Access Unit 2Once you know the pronouns, move on to Lesson 1: The Verb "sein" (To Be), where you will conjugate your first German verb using exactly these pronouns.