you (one person, informal)
For people you address on a first-name basis. Its verb form usually ends in -st (du kommst, du hast).
Woher kommst du?
Where are you from?
Hast du Zeit?
Do you have time?
#8 · Pronoun · PRON
In German, du means “you (one person, informal)”. It’s the #8 most frequently used German word. Below you’ll find how to use it, its forms, real example sentences, and common word pairings.
The informal singular "you", used with friends, family, children, and peers. Choosing between du and the formal Sie is one of the first social decisions in German — du signals closeness or informality.
neutralFor people you address on a first-name basis. Its verb form usually ends in -st (du kommst, du hast).
Where are you from?
Do you have time?
Ranked by how often each form shows up in spoken German. The top form cover about 100% of everyday use — learn these first.
| Nominative (subject) | du | you |
|---|---|---|
| Accusative (direct object) | dich | you |
| Dative (indirect object) | dir | (to) you |
| Possessive | dein | your (declines like ein) |
vs. Sie (formal you)
du is informal/singular; Sie (capitalized) is formal for anyone you don't know well. Using du with a stranger can seem too familiar.
Kommst du mit? / Kommen Sie mit?
Are you coming? (informal) / (formal)
vs. ihr (informal plural you)
du is one person; ihr is several people you'd each call du.
Du bist hier. / Ihr seid hier.
You are here (one). / You are here (several).
Du bist mein bester Freund.
You are my best friend.
du - nominative — informal, so du not Sie
Ich mag dich.
I like you.
dich - accusative — direct object
Ich helfe dir.
I help you.
dir - dative — helfen takes the dative
| dich | you (direct object) | accusative form |
|---|---|---|
| dir | (to) you (indirect object) | dative form |
| dein | your | possessive |
du → dich (Akk.) → dir (Dat.): the -ch form is accusative, the -r form dative — exactly the ich → mich → mir pattern.