Grammatik : personal pronouns 1

Singular
1st person: ich-I
2nd person: du-you
3rd person: er/sie/es- he/she/it

Plural
1st person: wir-we
2nd person: ihr- you
3rd person: sie- they

Formal address (singular and plural): Sie-you

I. When you are on a first-name basis with a person, you address him or her with du in the singular, ihr in the plural. If you are not on a first-name basis, you use the plural pronoun Sie (with capital S) both for one or several people. For example:

Otto, du hast Post von Vater.
Otto, you have mail from Dad.

Otto und Ruth, ihr habt Post von Vater.
Otto and Ruth, you have mail from Dad.

Frau Weber, Sie haben Post aus Frankfurt.
Mrs. Weber, you have mail from Frankfurt.

Frau Weber und Frau Becker, Sie haben Post aus Frankfurt.
Mrs. Weber and Mrs. Becker, you have mail from Frankfurt.


II. Der-, die-, das-words are referred to by the pronouns er, sie, es:

Hier ist der Brief. Er ist aus Heidelberg.
Here is the letter. It is from Heidelberg.

Hier ist die Karte. Sie ist aus Bonn.
Here is the postcard. It is from Bonn.

Hier is das Paket. Es kommt aus Hamburg.
Here is the package. It is from Hamburg.


III. Present tense of the verb haben (to have):

ich habe-I have
du hast- you have
er/sie/es hat- he/she/it has

wir haben- we have
ihr habt- you have
sie haben- they have

IV. Present tense of the verb sein (to be):

ich bin- I am
du bist- you are
er/sie/es ist- he/she/it is

wir sind- were are
ihr seid- you are
sie sind- they are


Exercise:
1. Complete the sentences in German. Remember to use the correct pronoun.

Sarah, (you have) Post aus Wiesloch.
Frau Koch, (you have) ein Paket von Herr Koch.
Frau Koch und Herr Koch, (you have) zwei Kinder.
Lars und Florian, (you have) eine Postkarte aus Afrika.
Mama, (you have) Post von Vater.

2. Translate the English sentences into German. Remember to use the correct article and pronoun (as shown above).

A. Hier is die Katze. It is from Frankfurt.
B. Here is the gentleman. Er ist aus Wien.
C. Here is the letter. Er ist aus Mannheim.
D. Hier ist die Post. It is from America.
E. Hier ist das Paket. It is from Ramstein.

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