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All 14 Flashcards — Register: du vs Sie
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Question
das Register / die Anrede
Answer
register (the level of formality: formal vs informal)
Question
du
Answer
informal you — friends, peers, family, young people
Question
Sie (immer groß)
Answer
formal you — strangers, elders, authority, business; always capitalised
Question
ihr
Answer
informal you (plural) — speaking to several friends/peers
Question
jemanden duzen / siezen
Answer
to address someone with «du» (informally) / with «Sie» (formally)
Question
Sie + Verb
Answer
uses the «sie/they» plural form (= infinitive), e.g. Sie haben, Sie können
Question
Possessiv mit du
Answer
dein / deine (your), e.g. dein Haus, deine Bücher
Question
Possessiv mit Sie
Answer
Ihr / Ihre (your), capitalised, e.g. Ihr Haus, Ihre Bücher
Question
Pronomen mit du
Answer
dich (Akk.) / dir (Dat.), e.g. ich schicke dir die Unterlagen
Question
Pronomen mit Sie
Answer
Sie (Akk.) / Ihnen (Dat.), e.g. ich schicke Ihnen die Unterlagen
Question
How do you pick du vs Sie?
Answer
From the audience and text type: friends/peers/family/young people and informal messages → du; strangers/elders/authority/business and formal letters → Sie.
Question
What verb form does «Sie» take?
Answer
The «sie/they» plural form, which is the infinitive: Sie haben, Sie können, Sie wohnen — NOT the singular «hat/kann».
Question
Why must register stay consistent?
Answer
Mixing du and Sie in one text is a marked error; once you choose a register, every verb, possessive and pronoun must match it.
Question
When you switch du → Sie, what changes?
Answer
All three together: the verb (kannst → können), the possessive (deine → Ihre) and the object pronoun (dir → Ihnen) — and capitalise Sie/Ihr/Ihnen.
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Full study notes for Register: du vs Sie
Topic 3.5 hub
Building texts
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German B exam skills
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