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SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/de-sie-du

Which German word for 'you' should you use with a shop clerk you just met?

Sie is the polite you.

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  1. du
  2. Sie ✔
  3. ihr

Why: Sie, always capitalized, is the polite you for adults you do not know well. Du is for family, friends and children.

Huh, didn't know that: Wiktionary says Sie expresses distance between two people and is not exactly the same as expressing respect.

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Knock knock. Who's there? To. To who? Don't you mean to whom?
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References

Answer: Sie. Sie, always capitalized, is the polite you for adults you do not know well. Du is for family, friends and children.

  1. Wiktionary: Sie en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Sie
    Sie you (polite, singular and plural)
    Checked 2026-10-10.
  2. Duden: du www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/du
    Anrede an verwandte oder vertraute Personen und an Kinder
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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