Language/German/Grammar/Personal-Pronouns

◀️ Cuisine and Traditions — Previous Lesson

Next Lesson — Possessive Pronouns ▶️

German → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Pronouns and Possessives → Personal Pronouns

Introduction

In this lesson, we will delve into the world of personal pronouns in German. Pronouns are an essential part of any language, as they allow us to refer to people, objects, and things without constantly repeating their names. Learning how to correctly use personal pronouns is crucial for effective communication in German.

Personal pronouns in German change depending on the grammatical case, gender, and number of the noun they replace. In this lesson, we will focus on the nominative case, which is used for subjects, and explore the different forms of personal pronouns for each person.

Nominative Case Personal Pronouns

In German, the nominative case is used for the subject of a sentence. The subject is the person or thing that performs the action of the verb. Let's take a look at the personal pronouns in the nominative case:

German	Pronunciation	English
ich	[ɪç]	I
du	[duː]	you (informal singular)
er	[eːɐ̯]	he
sie	[ziː]	she
es	[ɛs]	it
wir	[vɪɐ̯]	we
ihr	[iːɐ̯]	you (informal plural)
sie	[ziː]	they
Sie	[ziː]	you (formal singular and plural)

Here are some examples of how to use these personal pronouns in sentences:

• Ich bin müde. (I am tired.)
• Du bist mein Freund. (You are my friend.)
• Er liest ein Buch. (He is reading a book.)
• Sie geht ins Kino. (She is going to the cinema.)
• Es regnet. (It is raining.)
• Wir sind glücklich. (We are happy.)
• Ihr habt eine Katze. (You have a cat.)
• Sie spielen Fußball. (They are playing soccer.)
• Wie geht es Ihnen? (How are you?)

As you can see, personal pronouns in German must agree with the gender and number of the noun they replace. It's important to remember that "Sie" (capitalized) can be used both as a formal singular and plural pronoun, which can be confusing for beginners.

Conjugation of Personal Pronouns

In addition to changing form based on gender and number, personal pronouns in German also undergo conjugation based on the verb tense and mood. Let's take a closer look at the conjugation of personal pronouns in the present tense:

Singular

• Ich (I) - e.g., Ich bin (I am)
• Du (You informal singular) - e.g., Du bist (You are)
• Er (He) - e.g., Er ist (He is)
• Sie (She) - e.g., Sie ist (She is)
• Es (It) - e.g., Es ist (It is)

Plural

• Wir (We) - e.g., Wir sind (We are)
• Ihr (You informal plural) - e.g., Ihr seid (You are)
• Sie (They) - e.g., Sie sind (They are)
• Sie (You formal singular and plural) - e.g., Sie sind (You are)

Here are some examples of personal pronouns in sentences using the present tense:

• Ich spiele Fußball. (I play soccer.)
• Du gehst zur Schule. (You go to school.)
• Er liest ein Buch. (He is reading a book.)
• Sie geht ins Kino. (She is going to the cinema.)
• Es regnet. (It is raining.)
• Wir sprechen Deutsch. (We speak German.)
• Ihr kauft ein Eis. (You are buying ice cream.)
• Sie spielen Fußball. (They are playing soccer.)
• Wie geht es Ihnen? (How are you?)

It's important to note that the conjugation of personal pronouns in German can be different for each verb tense and mood. This requires practice and familiarity with the various conjugation patterns.

Summary

In this lesson, we have explored the world of personal pronouns in German. We have learned about the different forms of personal pronouns in the nominative case and their corresponding conjugation for each person. Understanding how personal pronouns work is crucial for constructing grammatically correct sentences in German.

Personal pronouns play a vital role in communication, allowing us to refer to people, objects, and things without repeating their names. By mastering the use and conjugation of personal pronouns, you will enhance your ability to express yourself in German and engage in meaningful conversations.

Continue practicing personal pronouns and their conjugation in various contexts to solidify your understanding. In the next lesson, we will delve into possessive pronouns and explore how they are used to indicate ownership. Bis zum nächsten Mal! (Until next time!)

Table of Contents - German Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Basic Sentence Structures

• Subject and Verb
• Noun and Gender

  ---

Greetings and Introduction

• Greetings and Goodbyes
• Introducing Yourself

  ---

Definite and Indefinite Articles

• Gender and Articles
• Plural Forms
• Cases: Nominative and Accusative

  ---

Numbers, Dates and Time

• Numbers 1-100
• Days of the Week and Months
• Telling Time

  ---

Verbs and Conjugation

• Verb Forms
• Present Tense
• Separable Verbs

  ---

Family and Friends

• Family Members
• Talking About Your Friends

  ---

Prepositions

• Using Prepositions
• Two-Way Prepositions

  ---

Food and Drinks

• Food and Meals
• Drinks and Beverages

  ---

Germany and German-Speaking Countries

• Geography and Landmarks
• Cuisine and Traditions

  ---

Pronouns and Possessives

• Personal Pronouns
• Possessive Pronouns

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Booking a Trip
• Public Transportation

  ---

Modal Verbs

• Expressing Abilities
• Talking About Obligations

  ---

Shopping and Clothes

• Shopping for Clothes
• Buying Groceries

  ---

Music and Entertainment

• Popular Musicians and Genres
• Movies, TV and Literature

  ---

Adjectives

• Descriptive Adjectives
• Comparative and Superlative Forms

  ---

Health and Body

• Talking About Health
• Body Parts

  ---

Time and Temporal Prepositions

• Using Time Expressions
• Temporal Prepositions

Sources

• German Personal Pronouns: Your Essential Guide
• German Pronouns: 9 Types to Learn | An Actually Fun Guide
• German pronouns: a fun beginner's guide – Busuu Blog

Other Lessons

• Give your Opinion
• How to Use Be
• 0 to A1 Course
• Two Way Prepositions
• Descriptive Adjectives
• Plural Forms
• Expressing Abilities
• Using Prepositions
• Indefinite Articles in German
• Past Tense Part 1 Perfect Tense

◀️ Cuisine and Traditions — Previous Lesson

Next Lesson — Possessive Pronouns ▶️