Vocabulary
du
/duː/· pronoun
you (to one friend, family member or child)
For one friend, family member, child or classmate — and young people say du to each other. With adults you don't know, in offices and at first at work, say Sie until the other person offers du.
CEFR A1Frequency ●●●●●informal
Your memory
New
Learning
Familiar
Strong
Mastered
Forms
- the verb after du: -st (after s or ß only -t)
- du kommst · du wohnst · du sprichst · du heißt · du bist
- other forms
- dir (Wie geht es dir?) · dich (later)
One word, many lives
Tap a meaning. Real German isn't a dictionary translation.
du
you (one friend, family member or child)
Du bist Mia, oder?
You're Mia, aren't you?
Word family
duduzento say du to someonedein, deineyour (to a friend)
Common combinations
- Und du?And you?
- Wie heißt du?What's your name?
- per du seinto say du to each other
Similar & opposite
↔ Opposites
Sie
Common learner mistakes
- Wie heißen du?Wie heißt du?With du the verb ends in -st: du kommst, du wohnst. After s or ß just -t: du heißt.
- Guten Tag, Herr Weber. Woher kommst du?Guten Tag, Herr Weber. Woher kommen Sie?Herr or Frau + surname goes with Sie. du is for friends, family, children — and people who have offered you du.
Real examples
- Woher kommst du?Where are you from?
- Bist du Omar?Are you Omar?
- Du sprichst gut Deutsch!You speak German well!
