Personal Pronouns

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.

Examples:

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.

Important: sie vs. Sie

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)

I and You

Exercises

bin Lehrer und bist Schüler.

I am a teacher and you are a student.

Hints: The speaker — first-person singular.

bin Arzt und bist Krankenschwester.

I am a doctor and you are a nurse.

Hints: The speaker — first-person singular.

bin Musiker und bist Tänzerin.

I am a musician and you are a dancer.

Hints: The speaker — first-person singular.

bin Journalist und bist Fotografin.

I am a journalist and you are a photographer.

Hints: The speaker — first-person singular.

bin Ingenieur und bist Designerin.

I am an engineer and you are a designer.

Hints: The speaker — first-person singular.

bin Chef und bist Assistent.

I am a boss and you are an assistant.

Hints: The speaker — first-person singular.