Brazilian Portuguese has lost much of its formal/informal distinction in everyday speech—“você” has become practically universal. German hasn’t. The difference between “du” (informal) and “Sie” (formal) is still taken seriously, and using the wrong form can sound strange, rude, or, at the very least, label you as a foreigner who doesn’t understand the culture.
The basic rule
Use “du” with family, friends, peers in informal settings, children, and, increasingly, in the startup/tech scene. Use “Sie” with adult strangers, in formal professional contexts, with older people you don’t know well, and in any customer service interaction (doctor, bank, government office).
What changes in the sentence, besides the pronoun
It’s not just a matter of swapping du for Sie—the verb conjugates differently as well. Sie uses the same conjugation as the third-person plural (sie/Sie = they / you (formal)), so Sie sprechen (you (formal) speak) uses the same verb form as sie sprechen (they speak). Only the context and the capital letter in Sie distinguish them.
When you’re not sure which to use
When in doubt, start off formally. Germans fully understand that foreigners make mistakes with this distinction, and no one will take offense if you use Sie a little too often—it’s the opposite (using du too soon with someone formal) that can sound inelegant. Often, it’s the older person or the person in a position of authority who suggests switching to du (wir können uns duzen—we can address each other informally), and only then can you relax.
This varies by generation
It’s worth noting that Sie is losing ground among younger people and in relaxed work environments, especially in tech companies and startups, where du is already the norm from day one. But in banks, government offices, and during first professional interactions, Sie is still the safest bet.
Listen to both forms in real-life contexts
The dialogs on DeutschBloom showcase real formal and informal situations, with native audio, so you can feel the difference in practice.
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