Before we look specifically at how the verb ending or Endung changes according to the subject, you should first learn some basic German pronouns. The pronouns that you will learn in this chapter are called personal pronouns or, in German, Personalpronomen.
WHAT ARE PRONOUNS?
Pronouns are nothing mysterious. You use them in everyday in your speech. Examples of personal pronouns in English are
I, he, she and they.
In a sentence, a pronoun usually represents a noun. For instance, you may refer to a boy as he or students as they in a sentence.
You have seen some Personalpronomen in the previous chapter, like ich and du.
THE THREE FORMS OF 'YOU' IN GERMAN
Unlike English, the German language has three different pronouns for “you”. And it is important to know how they differ. In the next frame, you can discover the difference for yourself.
THE THREE FORMS OF 'YOU' IN GERMAN
Click on the pronouns to find out more about the 3 forms of 'you'
du
ihr
Sie
'du' is the familiar singular form. It is used to address someone you know well, such as a good friend, a family member or a relative. Among young people and students, 'du' is the preferred form.
'ihr' is the familiar plural form. Like 'du', 'ihr' is used for family, relatives and people you know well.
The difference is that 'ihr' is used when you are addressing more than one person.
You have seen this in a previous fram. 'Sie' is the formal form of 'you'. It is used to address someone you do not know or do not know well.
TO SUMMARISE:
You learned the following nine pronouns in this chapter:
Well done, learner,
You have completed the third chapter. Click on next to proceed to the fourth and the last chapter or on index to choose another chapter.
