Personal pronouns in German
Personal pronouns are used to replace nouns and refer to people or things. In German, personal pronouns change based on the subject of the sentence. Here’s a guide to the personal pronouns at the A1 level.
1. List of Personal Pronouns
| Pronoun | English Translation | Example in German | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ich | I | Ich bin müde. | I am tired. |
| du | you (singular, informal) | Du bist freundlich. | You are friendly. |
| er | he | Er ist mein Freund. | He is my friend. |
| sie | she | Sie ist meine Schwester. | She is my sister. |
| es | it | Es ist kalt. | It is cold. |
| wir | we | Wir sind glücklich. | We are happy. |
| ihr | you (plural, informal) | Ihr seid meine Freunde. | You are my friends. |
| sie | they | Sie sind Lehrer. | They are teachers. |
| Sie | you (formal) | Sie sind nett. | You are nice. |
2. Usage of Personal Pronouns
- Ich: Use this pronoun when talking about yourself.
- Example: Ich liebe Schokolade. (I love chocolate.)
- Du: Use this pronoun when speaking to one person informally.
- Example: Du hast schöne Augen. (You have beautiful eyes.)
- Er: Use this pronoun when referring to a male person or a masculine noun.
- Example: Er spielt Fußball. (He plays soccer.)
- Sie: Use this pronoun when referring to a female person or a feminine noun.
- Example: Sie liest ein Buch. (She reads a book.)
- Es: Use this pronoun for neuter nouns or when the subject is not a person.
- Example: Es regnet. (It is raining.)
- Wir: Use this pronoun when talking about a group that includes yourself.
- Example: Wir gehen ins Kino. (We are going to the cinema.)
- Ihr: Use this pronoun when addressing a group of people informally.
- Example: Ihr seid meine besten Freunde. (You are my best friends.)
- Sie: Use this pronoun when talking about a group of people or when you want to be polite and formal.
- Example: Sie arbeiten hart. (They work hard.)
- Sie: Use this pronoun for formal situations to address one person or a group.
- Example: Sie sprechen Englisch. (You speak English.)
3. Important Highlights
- Capitalization: The formal “Sie” is always capitalized to show respect.
- Conjugation: The verb forms change depending on the personal pronoun.
- Example:
- Ich spiele. (I play.)
- Du spielst. (You play.)
- Er/Sie/Es spielt. (He/She/It plays.)
- Wir spielen. (We play.)
- Ihr spielt. (You play.)
- Sie spielen. (They/You formal play.)
- Example:
4. Practice Examples
- Ich bin 20 Jahre alt. (I am 20 years old.)
- Du bist mein Freund. (You are my friend.)
- Er hat ein neues Auto. (He has a new car.)
- Sie tanzt gerne. (She likes to dance.)
- Es ist ein schöner Tag. (It is a beautiful day.)
- Wir lernen Deutsch. (We are learning German.)
- Ihr kommt aus Deutschland. (You come from Germany.)
- Sie sind sehr nett. (They are very nice.)
By using personal pronouns, you can make your sentences clearer and avoid repetition. Practice using them in conversations to improve your German skills!