German grammar: Personalpronomen

What this grammar point covers

Personal pronouns in German are words that replace nouns and refer to people or things. They show who is doing something or to whom something is done.

When to use it

Use personal pronouns in German to avoid repeating names or nouns, to talk about yourself, others, or things, and to show who is involved in the action of the sentence.

Key forms

• ich, du, er, sie, es, wir, ihr, sie, Sie
• mich, dich, ihn, sie, es, uns, euch, sie, Sie
• mir, dir, ihm, ihr, ihm, uns, euch, ihnen, Ihnen

Examples

Tips

• Pay attention to the case (Nominative, Accusative, Dative) when choosing the correct pronoun.
• Remember that 'Sie' with a capital 'S' is used for formal 'you'.
• Some pronouns change depending on gender and number.

Exceptions and edge cases

• In spoken German, 'es' is sometimes left out when it is the subject, especially in weather expressions.
• The pronoun 'sie' can mean 'she', 'they', or formal 'you' (Sie), so context is important.