Pronouns are the words that replace nouns — ich, du, er, sie, wir. Every German verb depends on knowing the right pronoun because the pronoun determines the verb ending. But German has one trap that catches almost every learner: the word sie has three completely different meanings. And using the wrong one with your Goethe examiner costs marks.
The single most important fact in this module: German has nine personal pronouns but only six verb conjugation slots. That is because sie (she), sie (they), and Sie (formal you) are spelled the same. Only context, the verb form, and the capital letter separate them.
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Lesson 1 — The Complete Pronoun Table
All nine German pronouns. Organised by person, number, and formality.
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Lesson 2 — The sie / sie / Sie Trap
Three identical words. Three different meanings. How to tell them apart.
LESSON 2
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Lesson 3 — Pronouns + Verb Conjugation
How pronouns connect to the Module 8 endings. The full picture.
LESSON 3
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Lesson 4 — Formal Sie: Culture & Exam
Why Germans use Sie and what it signals. Critical for Goethe Sprechen.
LESSON 4
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Lesson 5 — The "du" Mistake
Why addressing the examiner as "du" loses marks — and what to say instead.
LESSON 5
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Lesson 6 — Kwame, Amina, Kofi, Fatima
Real African-context sentences. Full pronoun review.
LESSON 6
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Module 9 · Lesson 1 of 6
The complete German pronoun table
A personal pronoun replaces a noun so you do not have to repeat it. "Kwame lernt Deutsch — er lernt jeden Tag." German has nine personal pronouns, organised by person (1st / 2nd / 3rd) and number (singular / plural), with one extra level: formality.
All nine German personal pronouns
SINGULAR
PLURAL
1ST PERSON
ich
I
wir
we
2ND (informal)
du
you
ihr
you all
3RD PERSON
er / sie / es
he / she / it
sie
they
2ND (formal)
Sie
you (formal)
Sie
you all (formal)
What each pronoun replaces
ich / wir
Ich lerne Deutsch. Wir lernen zusammen.
I am learning German. We are learning together.
ich = the speaker alone. wir = the speaker + one or more others.
du / ihr
Du lernst gut. Ihr lernt auch gut.
You learn well. You all learn well too.
du = one person you know well (friend, family). ihr = multiple people you know well.
er / sie / es / sie
Kwame lernt → er lernt. Amina lernt → sie lernt. Das Kind lernt → es lernt. Kwame und Amina lernen → sie lernen.
Kwame → he. Amina → she. The child → it. Kwame and Amina → they.
er = one male. sie (lowercase) = one female OR multiple people. es = one neuter noun.
The nine-pronoun question: English has eight personal pronouns (I, you, he, she, it, we, you, they). German also has nine — but one of them, Sie, sits outside the usual person system entirely. It is the formal "you" that works for both singular and plural — and it is the most important pronoun for your Goethe exam.
Module 9 · Lesson 1 · Quiz
Pronoun Table Quiz
Module 9 · Lesson 2 of 6
The sie / sie / Sie trap
This is the single most confusing point in German grammar for almost every learner — and it costs exam points every day. Three pronouns, one spelling, three completely different meanings. Here is how to crack it.
sie
3RD SG · SHE
Amina lernt Deutsch. → sie lernt Deutsch.
sie
3RD PL · THEY
Kofi und Fatima lernen. → sie lernen Deutsch.
Sie
FORMAL · YOU
Herr Müller, lernen Sie... → Sie lernen Deutsch.
How to tell them apart — three signals
SIGNAL
sie (she)
sie (they)
Sie (formal)
1. Verb ending
–t lernt
–en lernen
–en lernen
2. Capital letter mid-sentence
no sie lernt
no sie lernen
YES always Sie lernen
3. Context — spoken TO or spoken ABOUT?
spoken about 3rd person
spoken about 3rd person
spoken TO 2nd person
The capital-letter rule is your fastest signal: In written German, Sie (formal you) is always written with a capital S — even in the middle of a sentence. If you see "Sie" capitalised mid-sentence, it is formal "you". "sie" in the middle of a sentence is always she or they. At the start of a sentence, you must use the verb to distinguish she from they from formal you.
The verb is your second clue
When "Sie/sie" starts a sentence — where everything is capitalised — you cannot use the capital-letter rule. Use the verb ending instead: –t means she, –en means they or formal Sie. Then use context to choose between those two.
SHE · –t
Amina wohnt in Accra. Siewohnt gern dort.
Amina lives in Accra. She lives there happily.
wohnt (–t ending) → she. Amina was just mentioned, so the context is clear.
THEY · –en
Kwame und Kofi studieren in Berlin. Siestudieren Medizin.
Kwame and Kofi study in Berlin. They study medicine.
studieren (–en ending) → could be they or formal Sie. Context: Kwame und Kofi were just mentioned → they.
FORMAL · –en
Guten Morgen! Sind Sie der Prüfer?
Good morning! Are you the examiner?
Capital S mid-question + formal context of a Goethe exam → formal Sie beyond any doubt.
The most common sie / Sie error in Goethe Schreiben:
Writing "sie kommen aus Ghana" when you mean the formal you — the grader reads this as "they come from Ghana." Always capitalise: "Sie kommen aus Ghana."
Conversely, writing "Fatima Sie lernt" is wrong — Fatima is a 3rd person subject, so lowercase sie: "Fatima sie lernt". (Even better: just write "Fatima lernt" — the pronoun is optional when the noun is there.)
Module 9 · Lesson 2 · Quiz
sie / sie / Sie Quiz
Module 9 · Lesson 3 of 6
Pronouns and verb conjugation — the full picture
In Module 8 you learned the six verb endings. Now you can see exactly why there are six endings for nine pronouns: some pronouns share an ending. The pronoun determines the ending. Get the pronoun right and the ending follows automatically.
Pronoun → ending — the complete map
ich
–elerne
du
–stlernst
er / sie (she) / es
–tlernt
wir
–enlernen
ihr
–tlernt
sie (they)
–enlernen
Sie (formal)
–enlernen
Why wir / sie / Sie all share –en: These three pronouns are grammatically in the same "slot" — they all trigger the same ending. This is why Sie (formal you) and sie (they) are so easy to mix up in speech: they sound identical. Only context tells you which one is meant.
Pronoun substitution — step by step
ORIGINAL SENTENCE
FatimaSUBJECT
kommtVERB · –t
aus Lagos.place
WITH PRONOUN
SiePRONOUN · she
kommtVERB · –t (same)
aus Lagos.place
She comes from Lagos. (verb stays the same — pronoun just replaces the name)
TWO PEOPLE → they
Kwame und AminaTWO PEOPLE
lernenVERB · –en
Deutsch.
SiePRONOUN · they
lernenVERB · –en (same)
Deutsch.
They are learning German. (plural sie → –en ending, same as wir and Sie)
The workflow — two steps:
1. Identify who is doing the action. Is it ich / du / er / sie / es / wir / ihr / sie / Sie?
2. Attach the matching ending: –e / –st / –t / –en / –t / –en / –en.
Pronouns and verb endings are two halves of the same system. Know the pronoun → know the ending automatically.
Module 9 · Lesson 3 · Quiz
Pronouns + Conjugation Quiz
Module 9 · Lesson 4 of 6
Formal Sie — culture, respect, and the exam
German has two ways to say "you." du is for people you know well — family, friends, classmates. Sie is for everyone else: strangers, professionals, officials, people older than you in formal settings. The choice of du or Sie is not just grammar — it is a cultural statement about respect and social distance.
When German speakers use Sie
ALWAYS SIE
Your teacher / professor
A doctor or official
A stranger you just met
A customer or shop clerk
Any job interview Your Goethe examiner
USUALLY DU
A friend or classmate
A sibling or cousin
Children (under ~14)
Close colleagues who offered du
Athletes in a sports team
Cultural note — the Siezen tradition: In Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, using Sie signals that you see the other person as a full adult deserving of formal respect. Switching from Sie to du is a significant social moment — the older or higher-ranking person must offer it first. Switching without permission is considered rude. For the Goethe exam, this cultural awareness itself shows language maturity.
Sie conjugation — verb forms with formal you
The formal Sie always takes the same verb ending as wir and sie (they): –en for regular verbs. This applies to all tenses. The verb form is identical to the 3rd person plural.
SIE · –en
Kommen Sie aus Afrika?
Do you come from Africa? (formal — verb first for yes/no question)
kommen = –en. Sie is in position 2 after the verb in this question structure.
SIE · –en
Wie lange lernen Sie schon Deutsch?
How long have you been learning German?
W-question: wie lange (P1) → lernen (P2 verb) → Sie (P3 subject). Standard Goethe Sprechen question.
SIE · –en
Ich heiße Kwame. Und Sie? Wie heißen Sie?
My name is Kwame. And you? What is your name?
"Wie heißen Sie?" is the formal version of "Wie heißt du?" — essential for the Goethe exam opening.
The Goethe Sprechen opening — memorise this:
Guten Morgen. / Guten Tag. (appropriate greeting) Ich heiße ___. Ich komme aus ___. Sind Sie der Prüfer / die Prüferin?
Using Sie from the very first second signals that you understand German culture. The examiner notices this. It is worth points before you even answer the first question.
Module 9 · Lesson 4 · Quiz
Formal Sie Quiz
Module 9 · Lesson 5 of 6
The "du" mistake — why it costs you points
In many African cultures, greetings are warm and quickly informal — you might address an elder directly by name, or use the same register with everyone. German culture treats formality very differently. Using du with a stranger in a formal setting does not just sound informal — it sounds disrespectful. In a Goethe exam, it signals to the examiner that you have not mastered this key aspect of German language and culture.
What happens when you say "du" to the Goethe examiner:
The examiner marks you on Kommunikation (communication) and Ausdruck (expression). Using du instead of Sie affects both — it shows a lack of register awareness, which is a defined assessment criterion at A1. It is not a small error. It is the equivalent of writing "Hey mate" in a formal English job application.
❌ "Hallo! Du bist der Prüfer?"
❌ "Wie heißt du?" (to the examiner)
❌ "Kannst du das bitte wiederholen?"
✓ "Guten Morgen. Sind Sie die Prüferin?"
✓ "Wie heißen Sie?"
✓ "Könnten Sie das bitte wiederholen?"
du vs Sie — side-by-side comparisons
du ❌
Du sprichst sehr gut Deutsch.
❌ Said to the examiner — du signals you treat them as a close friend.
Sie ✓
Siesprechen sehr gut Deutsch.
You speak very good German. (formal — appropriate with the examiner)
Note: sprechen not sprichst. Sie → –en ending. du → –st ending. Different ending AND different pronoun.
du ❌
Kannst du das bitte wiederholen?
❌ Asking the examiner to repeat — du makes this sound like a demand to a peer.
Sie ✓
Könnten Sie das bitte wiederholen?
Could you please repeat that? (formal — exactly the right register in an exam)
This sentence is also a model answer if you don't understand something in Goethe Sprechen — use it.
What to do if you accidentally say "du": Correct yourself immediately and move on. Say "Entschuldigung — ich meine natürlich Sie." (Excuse me — I mean Sie of course.) Self-correction shows awareness and is viewed positively. Do not let the error derail you; keep speaking.
The rule in one sentence: In a Goethe exam, in a German classroom, in a German office, in any formal situation — it is always Sie. du is reserved for people who have explicitly offered it to you. When in doubt, Sie is never wrong.
Module 9 · Lesson 5 · Quiz
du vs Sie Quiz
Module 9 · Lesson 6 of 6
Kwame, Amina, Kofi, Fatima — pronouns in real sentences
Let us put all nine pronouns into realistic African-context sentences — the exact kind of content you describe in Goethe A1 Schreiben and Sprechen. Watch how names become pronouns and how pronouns drive verb endings.
Introducing yourself — Sich vorstellen
ich
Ichheiße Kwame. Ichkomme aus Ghana und wohne jetzt in Berlin.
My name is Kwame. I come from Ghana and now live in Berlin.
Three ich-verbs: heiße (–e), komme (–e), wohne (–e). All take –e because the pronoun is ich.
Talking about others — Über andere sprechen
er → sie
Kofi studiert Medizin in Leipzig. Erwohnt in einem Studentenwohnheim.
Kofi studies medicine in Leipzig. He lives in a student dormitory.
Kofi → er. studiert (–t) and wohnt (–t) both use the er/sie/es ending.
sie (she)
Fatima arbeitet als Lehrerin in Accra. Sieunterrichtet Englisch und Französisch.
Fatima works as a teacher in Accra. She teaches English and French.
Fatima → sie (she). arbeitet (–t) and unterrichtet (–t). Both take –t because the pronoun is sie (she).
sie (they)
Kwame und Amina lernen zusammen Deutsch. Sietreffen sich jeden Dienstag im Sprachkurs.
Kwame and Amina are learning German together. They meet every Tuesday at the language course.
Kwame und Amina = two people = sie (they). lernen (–en) and treffen (–en). Plural sie → –en.
Asking and answering — Fragen und antworten
Sie (formal)
Prüfer: "Woher kommenSie?" — Amina: "Ichkomme aus Senegal."
Examiner: "Where do you come from?" — Amina: "I come from Senegal."
Examiner uses Sie (formal you, –en). Amina replies with ich (–e). This is the standard Goethe Sprechen exchange.
Full pronoun reference
ich
I · –e
du
you (informal) · –st
er
he · –t
sie
she · –t
es
it · –t
wir
we · –en
ihr
you all · –t
sie
they · –en
Sie
formal you · –en
What you now know:
✓ All 9 German pronouns — table memorised
✓ sie (she) / sie (they) / Sie (formal) — three signals to tell them apart
✓ Pronouns connect directly to verb endings from Module 8
✓ Formal Sie — culture, meaning, and exam strategy
✓ The "du" mistake — why it costs marks and what to say instead
You now have the complete pronoun system. Every German sentence you write or speak in the Goethe exam starts with choosing the right pronoun.