Personal pronouns replace the subject of a sentence.
In German, we choose the right personal pronoun based on the person (1st, 2nd, or 3rd), the number (singular or plural), and the formality of the situation.
Ich bin here. (I am here.) - the "Ich" is a personal pronoun for the speaker.
Er ist müde. (He is tired.) - the "Er" is a personal pronoun for a male person.
Wir kommen aus Deutschland. (We come from Germany.) - the "Wir" is a personal pronoun for a group including the speaker.
sie (lowercase) = she (singular) or they (plural)
Sie (uppercase) = formal you — used with strangers, teachers, and colleagues. Always capitalized, even in the middle of a sentence.
| English | German | |
|---|---|---|
| I | ich | |
| you (informal) | du | |
| he | er | |
| she | sie | |
| it | es | |
| we | wir | |
| you (plural) | ihr | |
| they | sie (Pl) | |
| you (informal) | Sie (formal) |
Fill in the correct definite article for each family member. Pay attention to the gender of the noun.
The father is tall.
The mother is friendly.
The child is happy.
The brother is intelligent.
The sister is talented.
The baby is sweet.