What are personal pronouns? They replace nouns referring to people, animals, or things. Instead of saying “Anna is a teacher,” you say “She is a teacher.” In German, pronouns also determine which verb form you use — making them essential to learn first.
Personal Pronouns
Personalpronomen
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📊 Quick Reference Table
All German personal pronouns in the nominative (subject) case. Click the speaker icon to hear pronunciation.
| German | English | Person / Number | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| ich1st · singular | I | 1st person singular | |
| du2nd · singular · informal | you | 2nd person singular (informal) | |
| er3rd · singular · masc. | he | 3rd person singular (masculine) | |
| sie3rd · singular · fem. | she | 3rd person singular (feminine) | |
| es3rd · singular · neuter | it | 3rd person singular (neuter) | |
| wir1st · plural | we | 1st person plural | |
| ihr2nd · plural · informal | you all | 2nd person plural (informal) | |
| sie3rd · plural | they | 3rd person plural | |
| Sieformal · always capitalized | you (formal) | 2nd person formal (singular + plural) |
👤 Singular Pronouns
1 First person singular — ich
2 Second person singular informal — du
3 Third person singular masculine — er
4 Third person singular feminine — sie
5 Third person singular neuter — es
👥 Plural Pronouns
6 First person plural — wir
7 Second person plural informal — ihr
8 Third person plural — sie
9 Second person formal — Sie
🔤 Verb “sein” — to be
Sein is the most important German verb and is irregular. Each pronoun has its own unique form — memorize them all!
| Pronoun | German form | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| ich | ich bin | I am | |
| du | du bist | you are | |
| er / sie / es | er ist | he/she/it is | |
| wir | wir sind | we are | |
| ihr | ihr seid | you all are | |
| sie / Sie | sie sind | they/you(formal) are |
⚠️ Important Notes
👔 Formal vs Informal
Use du with friends, family, and children. Use Sie (capital S) with strangers, at work, or with elders. Getting this wrong can seem rude!
✏️ Capitalization matters
Sie (formal “you”) is always written with a capital letter — even in the middle of a sentence. sie (lowercase) means “she” or “they.”
🔄 sie — three meanings!
sie ist = she is · sie sind = they are · Sie sind = you are (formal). Context and capitalization tell you which one!
🏷️ Nouns have gender
German nouns are masculine (der), feminine (die), or neuter (das). This determines whether you use er, sie, or es to replace them.
When to use du vs. Sie?
- Friends & classmates
- Family members
- Children
- Colleagues (when invited)
- Social media / texting
- Strangers / first meetings
- Boss / supervisor
- Doctors, officials
- Older people
- Professional contexts
✍️ Fill-in Exercises
Exercise 1 — Complete the pronoun table
| English | Your answer (German) |
|---|---|
| I | |
| you (informal) | |
| he | |
| she | |
| it | |
| we | |
| you all (informal) | |
| they | |
| you (formal) |
Exercise 2 — Fill in the correct pronoun
| Sentence | Pronoun |
|---|---|
| ______ bin Student. (I am a student) | |
| ______ bist mein Freund. (You are my friend – informal) | |
| ______ ist Arzt. (He is a doctor) | |
| ______ ist Lehrerin. (She is a teacher) | |
| ______ ist ein Buch. (It is a book) | |
| ______ sind Freunde. (We are friends) | |
| ______ seid Studenten. (You all are students) | |
| ______ sind meine Eltern. (They are my parents) | |
| ______ sind sehr höflich. (You are polite – formal) |
Exercise 3 — Complete with the right form of “sein”
| Sentence | Verb form |
|---|---|
| Ich ______ müde. (I am tired) | |
| Du ______ nett. (You are nice) | |
| Er ______ groß. (He is tall) | |
| Sie (she) ______ Ärztin. (She is a doctor) | |
| Es ______ kalt. (It is cold) | |
| Wir ______ in Berlin. (We are in Berlin) | |
| Ihr ______ pünktlich. (You all are punctual) | |
| Sie (they) ______ Studenten. (They are students) |
🎯 Interactive Quiz
Test your knowledge with 10 questions. Tap the correct answer!
Quiz complete!
🇩🇪 German A1 · Personalpronomen · Keep practising — consistency is key!
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