Learners of Germany would come soon across the fact that there are two different forms for addressing people, \u201cdu\u201d and \u201csie\u201d, which both mean \u201cyou\u201d in English. \u201cDu\u201d is informal speech and \u201csie\u201d is formal speech.<\/p>\n
What I have witnessed is that the formal option is fading more and more to the background. I belong to the generation 25 plus and some decades ago, it was normal that people of my age were addressing each other with \u201csie\u201d in random encounters. Obviously it was just a culturally and socially accepted rule to address people you don\u2019t know very well with \u201csie\u201d to merely show your respect toward the other person.<\/p>\n
But this has changed since then to a quite conspicuous degree. Let\u2019s say, I would go to meet a friend of mine in a public place and there we would run into some friends of my friend, who I don\u2019t know, and we all decide to spend some time together. I would not hesitate to ask if they would mind that I say \u201cdu\u201d to them. I would do so because I would feel uncomfortable to address them with \u201csie\u201d rather than being conscious of being \u2018polite\u2019.<\/p>\n
I even expect younger people to address me sometimes with \u201cdu\u201d instead of \u201csie\u201d. For example, one of my friends is a social worker and she once was throwing a party to where she also invited the kids from her workplace. The youths were around 16 years of age and one girl addressed me with \u201csie\u201d and that offended me because it made me feel old, although she just intended to be polite and show her respect toward me. The problem of this particular example is in the setting. I think I wouldn\u2019t have been \u2018huffy\u2019 when she had addressed me with \u201csie\u201d in a more official or anonymously situation, but this was a private party.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, there are, of course, situations where I prefer to address people with \u201csie\u201d instead of with \u201cdu\u201d. For example, I wouldn\u2019t dare to say \u201cdu\u201d to the parents of my friends, to shop assistants, consultants, public officials and the like. And so would most Germans do. Maybe, one can say that the distinctive meaning of \u201cdu\u201d and \u201csie\u201d is becoming more powerful, in contrast to the past, and that it won\u2019t be \u2018only\u2019 a symbol of respect and politeness anymore. Probably, it is becoming a sign of sympathy, that is, it could become a tool by which you can determine how close a person may get to you.<\/p>\n
I guess, that might be very confusing for learners of German and I cannot talk for all Germans, so this is my personal point of view. And I even can\u2019t give you any reasons why this is so. Maybe it is because life is becoming faster and more hectic and anonymously, so that people are trying to make more \u2018friendly and warm\u2019 bonds with each other. What do you think what the reason could be?<\/p>\n
Last but not least, I can only tip you off that you may ask you interlocutor, in rather private situations, if you can say \u201cdu\u201d to him or her, but only if YOU like and feel comfortable with it.<\/p>\n
I hope that I didn\u2019t confuse you so much. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Learners of Germany would come soon across the fact that there are two different forms for addressing people, \u201cdu\u201d and \u201csie\u201d, which both mean \u201cyou\u201d in English. \u201cDu\u201d is informal speech and \u201csie\u201d is formal speech. What I have witnessed is that the formal option is fading more and more to the background. I belong…<\/p>\n