Using Subject Pronouns in German

Subject pronouns in German replace the subject of the sentence, just like in English (“I”, “you”, “he”, etc.). These pronouns are always placed at the start of the sentence or before the verb in a main clause.

Here are the most common German subject pronouns and their uses:

• ich — used when talking about yourself (“I”)
• du — used when talking to one person you know well, like a friend or family member (“you” informal singular)
• er — used for “he”
• es — used for “it”
• sie — used for “she” as well as “they” or “you” (formal), depending on context
• wir — used for “we”
• ihr — used when talking to a group of people you know well (“you” informal plural)

Examples

• Ich habe Hunger.
• Du bist lustig.
• Er spielt Fußball.
• Es regnet.
• Sie ist meine Schwester.
• Wir gehen ins Kino.
• Ihr seid müde.
• Sie tanzen im Park. (can mean "They dance in the park" or formal "You dance in the park", depending on context)

Quick Guide on Choosing the Right Pronoun

• When talking about yourself, use ich.
• When speaking to one person (informally), use du.
• For a group you know well, use ihr.
• For people not present: use er (he), sie (she/they), es (it).
• For yourself and others, use wir.
• For formal situations (any number of people), use Sie (always capitalized).

Note: Context and capitalization help clarify whether sie means “she”, “they”, or the formal “you”. The verb form will also indicate which meaning is intended.