Personal pronouns in German
In German, personal pronouns are used to refer to people or things without explicitly stating their names. They function as substitutes for nouns and help avoid repetition in sentences. Personal pronouns in German vary based on gender, number, and case. Let’s explore the different types of personal pronouns in German:
- Subject Pronouns:
- Singular: ich (I), du (you, informal), er (he), sie (she), es (it)
- Plural: wir (we), ihr (you all, informal), sie (they)
- Formal: Sie (you, formal) – used when addressing someone in a formal setting or showing respect.
- Object Pronouns:
- Singular: mich (me), dich (you, informal), ihn (him), sie (her), es (it)
- Plural: uns (us), euch (you all, informal), sie (them)
- Possessive Pronouns:
- Singular: mein (my), dein (your, informal), sein (his), ihr (her), sein (its)
- Plural: unser (our), euer (your, informal), ihr (their)
- Reflexive Pronouns:
- Singular: mich (myself), dich (yourself, informal), sich (himself/herself/itself)
- Plural: uns (ourselves), euch (yourselves, informal), sich (themselves)
- Demonstrative Pronouns:
- Singular: dieser (this), jener (that)
- Plural: diese (these), jene (those)
- Interrogative Pronouns:
- Wer (who), wen (whom), wem (whom), was (what)
- Relative Pronouns:
- Der (who, that), die (who, that), das (that, which)
Examples:
- Ich bin ein Berliner – “I am a Berliner”. (By the way, when JFK said these words, he was not calling himself a donut.)
- Du hasst mich – “You hate me.”
- Gib es mir – “Give it to me”.
- Wegen meiner – “Because of me”
- Vergiss meinen Geburtstag nicht; er ist morgen.” – “Don’t forget my birthday; it’s tomorrow.”
- Ich mag das Buch, weil es lustig ist – “I like the book because it’s funny.”
- Ich kann nicht diese Krawatte tragen – sie hat die falsche Farbe – “I can’t wear this tie – it’s the wrong colour.”
In the end of our lesson enjoy watching this video:
