Du oder Sie? — Du or Sie? Formal and Informal 'You' in German

Learn when to say du and when to say Sie.

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du vs Sie

(informal / formal "you")

When to use each

German has two words for "you" — du and Sie — and choosing the right one is one of the most important social skills in the language. du is informal and personal. Sie is formal and respectful, and always written with a capital S to tell it apart from sie meaning "she" or "they."

du — informal	Sie — formal
Friends	Your doctor
Family	A teacher or professor
Children	Your employer or supervisor
Classmates	Customer-service situations
People you know well	Adults you don't know yet

In practice

The same question, asked two ways:

Wie heißt du?What is your name? (informal)

Wie heißen Sie?What is your name? (formal)

Common mistake: Switching from Sie to du without being invited is considered rude in German-speaking countries — when in doubt, stay with Sie until the other person offers du.

In short

du = friends, family, children, people you know well. Sie = strangers, professionals, and formal situations — always a capital S. When unsure, start with Sie.

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