Hello everyone,
I noticed in this 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?)