German - English Dictionary
/duː/
Du is the German word for you when addressing one person informally. It is the familiar singular pronoun, equivalent to thou in archaic English.
| # | Type | German | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | pronoun | du subject pronoun: the person being addressed | you |
| 2 | pronoun | du singular nominative form of you | thou |
| 3 | determiner | du the individual or group spoken/written to | you |
| 4 | determiner | du used before epithets for emphasis | you |
| 5 | pronoun | du | you (singular familiar), thou |
| 6 | noun | du | the thou, the you (singular) |
Du bist mein bester Freund.
You are my best friend.
Wie heißt du?
What is your name?
Du solltest mehr Wasser trinken.
You should drink more water.
Du is used with family, friends, and peers. Use Sie (formal you) with strangers, older people, or in professional settings unless invited otherwise. A common mistake is using du too early in a relationship or with someone of higher status.
Source: Wiktionary · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Audio: Wikimedia Commons