Du or Sie?

German has two words for "you": du (informal, singular) and Sie (formal, singular and plural). Picking the right one matters — using du with someone you don't know can feel rude, but using Sie with a close friend feels cold and distant.

Rule of thumb:

• du — friends, family, children, fellow students, pets
• Sie — strangers, shopkeepers (in many regions), older people, business contacts
• ihr — a group of people you would each address as du

Pick the right form

Choose du, Sie or ihr

Say it in German