My First Semester: Talking About People at School in Germany

Okay, deep breath. It’s been six months since I moved to Berlin, and let me tell you, learning German is hard. But it’s also…amazing. I’m slowly, painfully, but surely getting the hang of it. And right now, I’m really focusing on talking about people – my classmates and my professors. It feels like the most practical thing to learn because, you know, I actually need to talk about people!

The Basics: Personal Pronouns – It’s All About ‘Ich’, ‘Du’, and ‘Er/Sie’

Seriously, the personal pronouns were the first thing that tripped me up. In English, we just…do it. But in German, it’s like a constant, tiny, conscious decision. I started making so many mistakes. Like, I’d introduce myself as “Ich bin [my name]” when I should have said “Ich bin…” just to finish the sentence. It felt so awkward.

The important ones are:

• Ich – I
• Du – You (singular, informal)
• Er – He
• Sie – She or You (singular, formal)
• Wir – We
• Ihr – You (plural, informal) – I kept getting this one wrong for ages!

Let’s look at some examples. I was talking to a classmate, Luke, about the upcoming presentation.

“Hallo Luke, ich bin Sarah. Wie geht es dir?” (Hello Luke, I am Sarah. How are you?)

I immediately wanted to say, “Wie geht es Ihnen?”, which is the formal “you” – it felt wrong. Luke just laughed and said, “Kein Problem, Sarah! ‘Dir’ ist gut, oder?” (No problem, Sarah! You’re okay, right?)

Conversations with Classmates – Asking About People

I’ve been trying to use these pronouns when I meet new people in my German class. It’s terrifying! The first few times, I mumbled everything and completely forgot the right pronoun.

Here’s how a conversation with my classmate, Alice, went:

“Entschuldigung, ich bin neu hier. Wie heißt du?” (Excuse me, I’m new here. What’s your name?)

Alice: “Ich heiße Alice. Und du?” (My name is Alice. And you?)

Me (feeling incredibly awkward): “Ich… ich bin… Sarah?” (I… I am… Sarah?)

Alice (smiling): “Ja, genau! Du sprichst sehr gut Deutsch!” (Yes, exactly! You speak very good German!)

It was such a relief when she corrected me!

Other useful phrases:

• “Was studierst du?” (What are you studying?)
• “Woher kommst du?” (Where are you from?)
• “Ich komme aus England.” (I come from England.)

Talking to My Professors – Formal vs. Informal

This is where it gets really tricky. You cannot use ‘du’ with your professors. It’s considered incredibly rude. I completely butchered this in my first lecture. I introduced myself as “Ich bin Sarah, ich studiere hier” (I am Sarah, I study here) – using ‘ich’ to just finish the sentence! The professor, Herr Schmidt, just raised an eyebrow.

He corrected me gently: “Sie sind Sarah, richtig? ‘Hier studieren’ ist besser.” (You are Sarah, right? ‘Here study’ is better.)

It felt so humiliating, but I realized he was right. It’s all about respecting the hierarchy.

Here are some examples of correct phrases:

• “Herr Schmidt, wie geht es Ihnen?” (Professor Schmidt, how are you?)
• “Ich möchte Ihre Sprechstunde vereinbaren.” (I would like to schedule an appointment with you.)
• “Ich habe eine Frage zu…” (I have a question about…) – Always use ‘Sie’ after this.

Small Mistakes, Big Learning Opportunities

I’ve made so many mistakes. Last week, I accidentally said “Du bist mein Freund” (You are my friend) to a girl who was clearly just a classmate! She looked utterly bewildered. My roommate, Ben, just burst out laughing. It was mortifying, but he explained that “Freund” is too casual in this situation.

It’s all part of the process, I guess. The important thing is that I’m trying. And honestly, every time I stumble over the pronouns, I learn something new.

My Next Goal: Don’t Overthink It!

Right now, I’m trying to be more relaxed and just speak. I’m forcing myself to use ‘du’ and ‘Sie’ frequently, even if I mess up. I’m realizing that people appreciate the effort, and a little mistake is better than being completely silent.

Anyone else have any tips for dealing with the pronoun panic? Let me know in the comments! Ich bin neugierig! (I’m curious!)