Learning German language: The German Learners&#x27; Society (MKII)

Original post by AlwaysInAwe

Hi Guys,
Sorry to keep asking very simple questions, but I just wanted to know, how you distinguish in spoken German between "they <verb>" and formal "you <verb>". So for example as I understand it if I wanted to ask "what do they say?" It would be "Was sagen sie?" and what do you say would be "Was sagen Sie?". Which I guess is distinguishable in written German because of the capitalization, but isn't there an ambiguity when you're speaking it? Or am I doing something wrong?

You'll just know from the context.
I mean, if you're speaking to a friend (and so duzen) and you say "was haben sie gesagt?" then they'll know you mean "they".

Also, I don't believe there is a generic you or they like in English, they'd use "man", so that's also another thing.

Reply 1382

Original post by AlwaysInAwe

Hi Guys,
Sorry to keep asking very simple questions, but I just wanted to know, how you distinguish in spoken German between "they <verb>" and formal "you <verb>". So for example as I understand it if I wanted to ask "what do they say?" It would be "Was sagen sie?" and what do you say would be "Was sagen Sie?". Which I guess is distinguishable in written German because of the capitalization, but isn't there an ambiguity when you're speaking it? Or am I doing something wrong?

Hi,

when you say "Was sagen Sie?" you either ask someone to repeat what he/she said, because you didn't get it acoustically, or you ask his/her opinion.
when you say "Was sagen sie?" you ask someone to tell you what a third party says.
I think it should be clear from the context of the situation which one it is.

It's probably the same with "Can you help me?" which either means "Können Sie mir helfen?" or "Könnt ihr mir helfen?" you're either asking one person for help or various people.
habe ich ganz vergessen: "Kannst Du mir helfen?"

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 1383

AlwaysInAwe

Original post by SpiritedAway

You'll just know from the context.
I mean, if you're speaking to a friend (and so duzen) and you say "was haben sie gesagt?" then they'll know you mean "they".

Also, I don't believe there is a generic you or they like in English, they'd use "man", so that's also another thing.

Danke! Ich vestehe jetzt! Deutsch ist nicht leicht!

Reply 1384

AlwaysInAwe

Original post by grizzlybär

Hi,
It's probably the same with "Can you help me?" which either means "Können Sie mir helfen?" or "Könnt ihr mir helfen?" you're either asking one person for help or various people.

Thanks that's a really helpful example! (Sie Haben mir geholfen!)

Reply 1385

Original post by AlwaysInAwe

Thanks that's a really helpful example! (Sie Haben mir geholfen!)

You're welcome!

"You can say you to me." :tongue:

Reply 1386

AlwaysInAwe

Original post by grizzlybär

You're welcome!

"You can say you to me." :tongue:

Thanks! After I posted I read the previous conversation about du/sie really helpful! (Before that I was just always using Sie to avoid offending anyone :smile:

)

Reply 1387

SpiritedAway

With the Sie/du thing, if you were around the same age as someone, but asking for directions, or (the same age as someone) and were asking in a shop if something was sold there, would Sie or du be used here?

Reply 1388

I assume that the rules of politness aren't so different. You talk to people differently when you don't know them or they are older than you or whatever. You know when to behave more politely and formally. The reasons for doing so are the same. If you feel you should show respect and politeness you use 'Sie/Ihnen' (Können Sie mir sagen, wo ...?. Kann ich Ihnen weiterhelfen?)

Reply 1389

Original post by SpiritedAway

With the Sie/du thing, if you were around the same age as someone, but asking for directions, or (the same age as someone) and were asking in a shop if something was sold there, would Sie or du be used here?

Do what you think is appropriate. When asking random people for direction and they are approximately my age I use "Du". But when I enter a shop the people there are doing a job, fulfil a function, even when they are younger than I am, I say "Sie".

thinking about it again, I tend to say "Sie" to all people I don't know personally, unless they are obviously a lot younger than I am.
It really depends on the situation and I believe we distinguish between behaving more politely or more peer to peer-like, based on the same rules.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 1390

SpiritedAway

Thanks, that's what I thought (baring the directions, I just seemed to use Sie just in case).

Reply 1391

jakemittle

Original post by grizzlybär

You're welcome!

"You can say you to me." :tongue:

na man..Sie fuer immer :colone:

Reply 1392

jakemittle

oo habt ihr gehoert?..Berslusoni soll gesagt habe, dass Italien ******* ist!

apropos...ist soll gesagt haben richtig?..odert ist es richtiger, wenn ich schriebe...Berlusconi sagte angeblich, dasss?

Reply 1393

Original post by jakemittle

oo habt ihr gehoert?..Berslusoni soll gesagt habe, dass Italien ******* ist!

apropos...ist soll gesagt haben richtig?..odert ist es richtiger, wenn ich schriebe...Berlusconi sagte angeblich, dasss?

meines Wissens ist beides richtig, soll gesagt haben/ sagte angeblich, wobei ich soll gesagt haben besser finde. Was aber folgt ist der Konjunktiv
Berlusconi soll gesagt haben, dass Italien ein Scheißland SEI.

Reply 1394

jakemittle

Original post by grizzlybär

meines Wissens ist beides richtig, soll gesagt haben/ sagte angeblich, wobei ich soll gesagt haben besser finde. Was aber folgt ist der Konjunktiv
Berlusconi soll gesagt haben, dass Italien ein Scheißland SEI.

ah!..sogar in der gesprochenen Sprache?

Reply 1395

Original post by jakemittle

ah!..sogar in der gesprochenen Sprache?

was richtig in der geschriebenen Sprache ist, gilt auch für die gesprochene.
Aber wer beherrscht schon immer alle Regeln und verstanden wird man ja auch, selbst wenn es nicht immer 100% grammatikalisch richtig ist. Und wer mehr, je nach Herkunft, seinen Dialekt durchklingen lässt, der hat ganz eigene Regel.
Hauptsache ist doch, man wird verstanden.

Reply 1396

Dann

15

Hallo! Ich lerne schon seit eine Monat Deutsche, aber ich werde bald nach London zu bewegen. Kann mir jeman sagen eine Klasse gut in London?

Sorry for any errors! :smile:

Reply 1397

Original post by Dann

Hallo! Ich lerne schon seit eine Monat Deutsche, aber ich werde bald nach London zu bewegen. Kann mir jeman sagen eine Klasse gut in London?

Sorry for any errors! :smile:

Hi Dann,

considering that you have been learning German for only a month, it's pretty good.
Do you want me to correct the mistakes I detect?

Reply 1398

hannah_dru