ich/du/er/sie/es

Personal Pronouns Singular

Level 1

ich (I), du (you), er (he/it), sie (she/it), es (it), and Sie (formal You).

How It Works

Personal pronouns are the building blocks of German sentences. They function in the nominative case as the subject performing the action.

The Singular Pronouns:

  • ich (I): Used for yourself.
  • du (you): Used for friends, family, and children (informal).
  • er (he/it): Replaces masculine nouns (der-words).
  • sie (she/it): Replaces feminine nouns (die-words).
  • es (it): Replaces neuter nouns (das-words).
  • Sie (you): The formal way to address one or more adults. While it can address a single person, it always uses plural verb endings and is always capitalized.

Grammatical Gender vs. Natural Gender:
Unlike English, where 'it' is used for almost all objects, German uses er, sie, or es based on the noun's grammatical gender. For example, because 'Löffel' (Spoon) is masculine, you must use er to say 'it is here.' This also applies to people; for example, 'das Mädchen' (the girl) is grammatically neuter, so it is normally replaced by es. You will also hear sie for a girl, especially when the pronoun comes far from the noun.

Verb Agreement:
Each pronoun requires a specific verb ending. Note that Sie always uses the same ending as the plural 'they':

  • ich lerne
  • du lernst
  • er/sie/es lernt
  • Sie lernen

Examples (5)

  1. Ich wohne in Berlin.

    I live in Berlin.

    Word by Word: I live in Berlin.

    The pronoun 'ich' is the subject. Note that unlike English 'I', it is not capitalized here.

  2. Du bist sehr nett.

    You are very kind.

    Word by Word: You are very kind.

    Using 'du' indicates an informal relationship with the person you are speaking to.

  3. Wo ist der Tisch? Er ist in der Küche.

    Where is the table? It is in the kitchen.

    Word by Word: Where is the table? He is in the kitchen.

    Since 'Tisch' is masculine (der Tisch), we use 'er' (he/it) to refer to it.

  4. Die Lampe ist neu. Sie ist schön.

    The lamp is new. It is beautiful.

    Word by Word: The lamp is new. She is beautiful.

    Since 'Lampe' is feminine (die Lampe), we use 'sie' (she/it) to refer to it.

  5. Das Kind spielt. Es ist glücklich.

    The child is playing. It is happy.

    Word by Word: The child plays. It is happy.

    Since 'Kind' is neuter (das Kind), we use 'es' (it) to refer to it.

Common Mistakes

  • Capitalizing 'ich' in the middle of a sentence.

    Gestern habe Ich Brot gekauft.
    Gestern habe ich Brot gekauft.

    In German, 'ich' is only capitalized if it is the first word of a sentence. This is different from the English 'I'.

  • Using 'es' for all inanimate objects.

    Wo ist der Schlüssel? Es ist hier.
    Wo ist der Schlüssel? Er ist hier.

    You must use the pronoun that matches the noun's gender. 'Schlüssel' is masculine (der), so you must use 'er'.

  • Confusing 'sie' (she) with 'Sie' (formal you).

    Sie bist meine Freundin.
    Du bist meine Freundin.

    Learners often mix up the different 'sie' forms. 'Sie' (capitalized) is the formal 'you', while 'sie' (lowercase) is 'she'. For a friend, always use 'du'.

How It Connects

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ich/du/er/sie/esLevel 1Personal Pronouns Singular

Learn This First

Personal pronouns are foundational for identifying the subject of a sentence. While 'ich' (I) and 'du' (you) are straightforward, the pronouns 'er' (he), 'sie' (she), and 'es' (it) are used to replace nouns and must match their grammatical gender.

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