# AI Translations (formal, informal)

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/ki-ubersetzungen-formal-informal/389611
**Category:** Feature
**Tags:** ai, content-localization
**Created:** [25 november 2025 om 15:43 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/ki-ubersetzungen-formal-informal/389611 "2025-11-25T15:43:19Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 1

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### Author: ![asa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/asa/32/184869_2.png) [@asa](https://meta.discourse.org/u/asa)
#### Post date: [25 november 2025 om 15:43 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/ki-ubersetzungen-formal-informal/389611/1 "2025-11-25T15:43:20Z")

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Hello everyone,  
I noticed in [this](https://meta.discourse.org/t/lets-talk-about-pictures-quoting-pictures-in-discourse/389563) post and others that English is always translated formally into German. Is it desired for it to be formal, or should it be informal? How exactly can I adjust this in my community? We are not a business forum there; we use the informal “Du.”

> ### 1. **Formal German (Sie)**
> 
> Used for:
> 
> - People you **don’t know well**
> - **Professional or business settings**
> - **Older people** or in situations requiring respect
> 
> **Examples:**
> 
> - **Greeting:**
> - „Guten Tag, Herr Müller.“ (Good day, Mr. Müller.)
> - „Guten Abend, Frau Schmidt.“ (Good evening, Mrs. Schmidt.)
> 
> - **Questions / Requests:**
> - „Könnten Sie mir bitte helfen?“ (Could you help me, please?)
> - „Haben Sie das Dokument erhalten?“ (Did you receive the document?)
> 
> - **Pronouns & verbs:**
> - Pronoun: **Sie** (always capitalized in writing)
> - Verb form: **3rd person singular/plural**
> - Example: „Sie gehen ins Büro.“ (You are going to the office.)
> 
> **Key:** Formality shows respect and politeness.
> 
> * * *
> 
> ### 2. **Informal German (du)**
> 
> Used for:
> 
> - Friends, family, children, or close colleagues
> - Casual or relaxed situations
> 
> **Examples:**
> 
> - **Greeting:**
> - „Hallo, Anna!“ (Hi, Anna!)
> - „Guten Morgen, Peter.“ (Good morning, Peter.)
> 
> - **Questions / Requests:**
> - „Kannst du mir helfen?“ (Can you help me?)
> - „Hast du das Buch gelesen?“ (Did you read the book?)
> 
> - **Pronouns & verbs:**
> - Pronoun: **du**
> - Verb form: **2nd person singular**
> - Example: „Du gehst ins Büro.“ (You are going to the office.)
> 
> **Key:** Informality shows closeness and friendliness.
> 
> * * *
> 
> ### 3. **Switching between Formal and Informal**
> 
> - Often, people start with **Sie** and switch to **du** only if both agree. This is called _“per Du sein”_ (being on a first-name basis).
> - A polite way to ask:
> - „Dürfen wir uns duzen?“ (May we use ‘du’ with each other?)

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