Personal Pronouns in German- All You Need To Know

Personal pronouns in German are essential for constructing sentences, referring to people, objects, and concepts without repeating their names. They help make conversations and writing smoother and less repetitive. While the basic function of personal pronouns is the same in German as in English, there are some key differences that you need to understand in order to use them correctly. In this guide, we'll cover everything you need to know about German personal pronouns: their different forms, when and how to use them, and common mistakes to avoid.

Your guide to personal pronouns in German

Learn German Online with Expert Tutors

Personal pronouns in German are used in much the same way as in English. They can be declined like nouns and used as the subject (nominative), direct object (accusative) or indirect object (dative) in a sentence. In this blog post, I explain how to use and translate them into English.

In the table below, you find all personal pronouns in German with their English translation. In the nominative row, you'll find all personal pronouns that we use to conjugate verbs. Since the nominative case represents the subject in a sentence, they're also known as "subject pronouns". The next row shows the accusative case, which is the direct object in the sentence. In other words, it is the pronoun that to which the action of the verb is being done. The last row is the dative case, also known as the indirect object. Dative pronouns are the recipients in a sentence, to whom the accusative is given or for whom the accusative object is being done. Unfortunately, the dative doesn’t always translate into English, especially with verbs that always go with the dative case. Since the correct use of pronouns requires a fairly good understanding of the cases in German, make sure you read my post on them first. If you find grammar terms such as "declination", "subject", "direct object" confusing, please consult my A-Z of grammar terminology for clarification.

NOMINATIVE	ich I	du you	er he	sie she	es it	wir we	ihr you	sie/Sie they/you
ACCUSATIVE	mich me	dich you	ihn him	sie her	es it	uns us	euch you	sie/Sie them/you
DATIVE	mir to/for me	dir to/for you	ihn to/for him	ihr to/for her	ihm to/for it	uns to/for us	euch to/for you	ihnen/Ihnen to/for them/you

The formal Sie is always capitalized and used both for singular and plural forms. This is particularly important in formal contexts, such as addressing strangers, colleagues in a professional setting, or anyone you wish to show respect to.

Let's look at some examples.

NOM. ACC.

Ich liebe dich

(I love you)

NOM. DAT. ACC.

Sie reicht ihm das Salz.

(She passes him the salt)

Especially English native speakers find it confusing that the German language has three pronouns for the English “you”: du (the informal you in the singular), ihr (the plural version of “du”), and Sie (the formal you for both one person or more). While “du” and “ihr” should be used for people you are familiar with like friends and family members as well as children, “Sie” should be used to address adults as it is polite and respectful. Among work colleagues and students, “du” and “ihr” are nowadays more common ways of addressing each other than in the past, but it depends on how formal the company or sector are. In finance, for instance, “Sie” is still the preferred choice of pronoun, whereas in the arts and media "du" and "ihr" are the standard pronouns. The formal you “Sie” is capitalised in all cases to distinguish it from “sie” meaning she or her. You will find more examples for the difference between du, ihr, and Sie in German in my post devoted about those pronouns.

INFORMAL SETTING

Karin, könntest du mir bitte helfen?

(Karin, could you help me please?)

FORMAL ENVIRONMENT

Herr Müller, haben Sie kurz Zeit?

(Mr Müller, do you have a minute?)

The personal pronouns “ich”, “du”, “wir”, ihr”, “Sie” in the nominative, accusative, and dative case always refer to people.

NOM. ACC.

Ich habe dich gestern auf der Straße gesehen

(I saw you on the street last night)

NOM. ACC.

Wir werden Sie anrufen

(We will call you)

The pronouns “er”, “sie”, “es” can refer to both people and things, provided they have already been mentioned. In short, they can be used to substitute nouns.

Die Professorin ist bei einer Konferenz. Sie gibt heute keine Vorlesung

(The professor is at a conference. She won’t give a lecture today)

Die Pflanzen sind gewachsen. Ich habe ihnen regelmäßig Wasser gegeben.

(The plants have grown. I watered them regularly)

Personal Pronouns in the Four Cases

In German, pronouns change depending on their function in the sentence. Unlike English, German uses four cases: nominative, accusative, dative, and genitive. Each case corresponds to a different grammatical role the pronoun plays, and it’s essential to learn these changes to use pronouns accurately.

Nominative Case (Subject)

The nominative case is used when the pronoun is the subject of the sentence—the person or thing performing the action. These are the forms you’ll most often encounter.

English	Nominative German
I	ich
You	du
He	er
She	sie
It	es
We	wir
You (plural)	ihr
They	sie
You (formal)	Sie

Examples:

• Ich lerne Deutsch. (I am learning German.)

• Er geht zur Schule. (He goes to school.)

• Wir spielen Fußball. (We are playing soccer.)

Accusative Case (Direct Object)

The accusative case is used when the pronoun is the direct object of the sentence—meaning it is directly receiving the action of the verb.

English	Accusative German
Me	mich
You	dich
Him	ihn
Her	sie
It	es
Us	uns
You (plural)	euch
Them	sie
You (formal)	Sie

Examples:

• Kannst du mich hören? (Can you hear me?)

• Ich sehe ihn im Park. (I see him in the park.)

• Sie liebt uns. (She loves us.)

Dative Case (Indirect Object)

The dative case is used when the pronoun is the indirect object—the person or thing receiving the benefit of the action, often after verbs like "give" or "show."

English	Dative German
Me	mir
You	dir
Him	ihm
Her	ihr
It	ihm
Us	uns
You (plural)	euch
Them	ihnen
You (formal)	Ihnen

Examples:

• Kannst du mir helfen? (Can you help me?)

• Er gibt ihr das Buch. (He gives her the book.)

• Wir schicken ihnen eine Nachricht. (We are sending them a message.)

Since some students struggle to understand the difference between the accusative and the dative case in German, we have a designated blog post on this subject.

Genitive Case (Possession)

The genitive case is the least used in everyday conversation but still important in formal writing. It indicates possession and answers the question "Whose?" However, in spoken German, possessive adjectives are often used instead of genitive personal pronouns.

English	Genitive German
My	meiner
Your	deiner
His	seiner
Her	ihrer
Its	seiner
Our	unser
Your (plural)	euer
Their	ihrer
Your (formal)	Ihrer

Examples:

• Trotz meiner Hilfe, hat er es nicht geschafft. (Despite my help, he didn’t make it.)

• Wegen ihrer Verspätung, haben wir gewartet. (Because of her delay, we waited.)

Using Personal Pronouns with Prepositions

In German, personal pronouns often appear in combination with prepositions. It's important to remember that the pronoun must be in the correct case, depending on the preposition used.

Examples of Common Prepositions:

• mit (with) – takes the dative case

  • Ich gehe mit ihm. (I’m going with him.)

• für (for) – takes the accusative case

  • Das ist für dich. (This is for you.)

• von (from) – takes the dative case

  • Das Geschenk ist von mir. (The gift is from me.)

• ohne (without) – takes the accusative case

  • Ich gehe ohne sie. (I’m going without her.)

• 
  

Common Mistakes with German Personal Pronouns

Here are some common mistakes learners make when using German personal pronouns, and how to avoid them:

1. Confusing the Formal and Informal Forms of "You"

• Using du when you should be using Sie is a common mistake, especially for beginners. Always use Sie when speaking to someone you don’t know well or in formal contexts. If in doubt, it's safer to start with Sie until you’re invited to use du.

2. Forgetting to Change the Pronoun for the Case

• German pronouns change depending on the case. For example, ich (I, nominative) becomes mich (me, accusative) or mir (me, dative). Always check which case the verb or preposition requires.

3. Misusing "es" with Gendered Nouns

• While es is used to refer to neuter nouns (e.g., das Buch – it), learners sometimes mistakenly use es for nouns that are masculine or feminine. For example, you should say er for der Tisch (the table) and sie for die Lampe (the lamp).

Examples:

• Incorrect: Es ist kaputt. (referring to der Tisch)

• Correct: Er ist kaputt. (He/It is broken, referring to the table.)

6. Tips for Mastering Personal Pronouns in German

• Practice Daily Conversations: When talking to people in German, make a conscious effort to use personal pronouns, especially with prepositions correctly.

• Use Role Play: Practice role-playing different situations, alternating between formal and informal contexts, to become comfortable switching between du/ihr and Sie.

• Quiz Yourself on Cases: Regularly quiz yourself on how personal pronouns change in different cases. Make sure you understand which case is being used with which verb or preposition.

• Pay Attention to Context: Always consider whether the situation is formal or informal before deciding which pronoun to use. Err on the side of caution with formal pronouns when uncertain.

Conclusion

Understanding and correctly using personal pronouns in German is fundamental to speaking and writing the language well. By mastering the different cases, understanding formal versus informal usage, and being aware of common pitfalls, you’ll be able to communicate more accurately and effectively. Remember, personal pronouns are key to ensuring your sentences flow naturally, so practice using them in real-life situations, with prepositions, and in various cases to feel confident in your German conversations.

That's all you need to know about personal pronouns. Check out my blog posts on the difference between mir and mich, possessive pronouns in German and the difference between sein and ihr to learn more.