How do you address a group of people who are not your close friends?
A student in Neukölln wondered last week why her teacher in her language school addresses the class with Sie. Shouldn’t the teacher say ihr?
Indeed, we address individuals with the formal Sie and the informal du. If we face a group we have to use the proper personal pronoun. We say ihr to a group of people we individually address with du. If we want to talk to a group of people we individually address with Sie, we say Sie as well.
Personal pronoun, familiar, singular: du
Personal pronoun, familiar, plural: ihr
Personal pronoun, formal, singular: Sie
Personal pronoun, formal, plural: Sie
When you ask a stranger on the street who is with friends, if he or she has a light for your cigarette ("Haben Sie Feuer?), don’t be surprised when not only he or she but also his or her friends start searching their pockets.
Since I arrived in Berlin, I have been noticing that many people say du to me although I barely know them. People I address with Sie quickly offer the du.
I assume Berlin is exceptional in Germany. Life is more relaxed and people are more casual than in other German cities. Also, Berlin is very international. It is easier for visitors to settle on a personal pronoun that appears to be more friendly, more intimate, more cozy. Be advised not to address your boss, police, bureaucrats or your landlord with du. They are less casual and often less relaxed and therefore, less amused. With Sie you are safe – for the moment.
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