4.1.1 Formal vs. informal language

Context and Register in German

German distinguishes clearly between formal and informal communication. This is not only a matter of vocabulary, but also of grammar, pronouns, and verb forms. At B2 level, you should be able to switch between registers flexibly, for social as well as professional contexts.

The Core Distinction: du / ihr vs. Sie

The most visible marker of register in German is the choice of second person pronouns.

You use:

• du for one person, informal
• ihr for several people, informal
• Sie for one or several people, formal

The verb always agrees with the pronoun. The formal Sie always takes the same verb ending as plural sie.

Compare:

In writing, Sie is always capitalized when it is the formal address. The same capitalization applies to the related possessive forms Ihr, Ihre, Ihren, which are formal, and must be distinguished from the informal ihr, ihre.

When to Use Formal Language

Formal language is common in:

• most professional situations, especially at the beginning of a relationship
• communication with customers, clients, superiors, or older strangers
• official settings such as authorities, offices, doctors, banks
• written communication such as business emails, official letters, applications

Typical features of formal language:

• use of Sie and last names or titles
• more complete sentences, fewer contractions and filler words
• polite forms of requests and questions
• more neutral or abstract vocabulary

You usually stay with Sie until all parties explicitly agree to switch to du.

When to Use Informal Language

Informal language is used:

• among friends and family
• in many student contexts and among younger colleagues
• in relaxed online communication such as chats and social media
• in some modern companies with an explicit du culture

Informal speech uses:

• du or ihr
• more colloquial vocabulary and short forms
• more direct statements and questions

Even in companies with a du culture, you must be able to switch back to Sie when you talk to customers or external partners.

Forms of Address and Titles

Formal and informal registers differ strongly in how you address people.

Names and Titles

In informal contexts you usually use first names:

• Hallo, Anna.
• Markus, hast du kurz Zeit?

In formal contexts you generally use:

• Herr + family name
• Frau + family name
• occasionally titles such as Doktor, Professor with family name

For example:

• Guten Morgen, Herr Müller.
• Entschuldigen Sie, Frau Schneider.

Using only the family name without Herr or Frau is very direct, and in most cases inappropriate in formal German, especially in spoken interaction.

Switching from Sie to du

Switching from Sie to du is called "das Du anbieten." There are social conventions about this. Typically, the older person or the person with higher status offers the du.

Phrases used in this situation include:

• Wollen wir uns duzen?
• Wir können gern per du sein, wenn Sie möchten.
• Sollen wir zum Du übergehen?

Once this is agreed, both sides consistently use du. Mixing Sie and du with the same person is usually seen as impolite or confusing.

Verbal Politeness: Softeners and Modal Constructions

In formal language you rarely use a direct imperative when you ask for something. Instead, you soften the request with modal verbs, the conditional, or specific polite expressions. At B2, the choice of these forms strongly signals whether your tone is appropriate.

Compare:

In formal contexts, the conditional forms like könnten Sie, würden Sie, ich hätte gern are especially common. They signal distance and respect.

Written vs. Spoken Register

Spoken and written communication often differ in the degree of formality, even with the same person.

Formal Writing

Even with Sie, spoken language can be relatively relaxed, while writing tends to be more structured and explicit. In emails and letters you often use:

• set phrases at the beginning and end
• more careful sentence structure
• fewer colloquialisms and filler words

For example, spoken:

• Ja, also, ich bräuchte da mal kurz Ihre Hilfe, wenn das irgendwie geht.

More appropriate in writing:

• Ich benötige Ihre Unterstützung bei diesem Anliegen und würde mich über eine kurze Rückmeldung freuen.

Informal Writing

In personal messages, chats, or social media with friends, you often see:

• shortened forms and common spoken patterns represented in writing
• freer word order and incomplete sentences
• more particles, interjections, and slang

For example:

• Hey, hast du heute Zeit?
• Bin gleich da, warte kurz.
• Krass, das ist ja total verrückt.

The content is similar, but the style is much more relaxed compared to a formal message.

Standard vs. Colloquial Vocabulary

At B2, you should be able to recognize whether an expression is neutral and suitable for formal contexts, or clearly colloquial. Many words have more formal or more casual alternatives.

Using strong colloquial or slang expressions in a formal context can sound unprofessional or rude. On the other hand, using very formal words among close friends can sound stiff or ironic.

Discourse Markers and Particles

German has many small words that shape how polite or direct your sentence sounds. They are especially important for register.

Polite Additions in Formal Speech

In formal language you often find:

• bitte as a standard softener
• wohl, vermutlich, wahrscheinlich to sound less absolute
• vielleicht and eventuell as cautious suggestions
• gerne / gern to express willingness

For example:

• Könnten Sie mir bitte die Unterlagen senden?
• Ich würde das vermutlich anders formulieren.
• Vielleicht könnten wir einen neuen Termin vereinbaren.
• Ich helfe Ihnen gern bei der Vorbereitung.

Colloquial Particles in Informal Speech

Particles like ja, doch, mal, halt, eben, bloß are typical for spoken informal German. They are almost never used in official written texts, and only sparingly in formal conversation.

For example:

• Komm doch mal vorbei.
• Das ist ja total verrückt.
• Dann machen wir das halt so.
• Ich hab dir das doch gesagt.

At B2, you do not need to use these particles in formal settings. Understanding them is important, but in professional communication it is safer to use clear, particle-free sentences.

Typical Phrases: Contrasts between Registers

Recognizing fixed phrases for different registers is very helpful. The following pairs show how the same function is expressed differently in formal and informal German.

Greeting and Opening

Asking for Something

Refusing or Disagreeing

Ending Communication

These formulas are part of the "functional phrases" you will use regularly in daily and work life and will connect directly to the next chapter.

Cultural Expectations and Potential Misunderstandings

At higher levels you should not only know the forms, but also the social expectations around them.

Using du too early can seem disrespectful or too intimate. This is especially sensitive with older people, with authority figures, and in customer relations. On the other hand, insisting on Sie in a group where everyone uses du can create distance.

In some contexts, such as startups, co-working spaces, or creative industries, du is often the norm, even in professional communication. In traditional companies, public administration, or healthcare, Sie is usually standard.

Conversely, using Sie with children and teenagers sounds unnatural and distant in most everyday situations. They generally expect du.

In writing, ignoring formal conventions in emails or letters can make you appear unprofessional, even if your grammar is correct. This includes the correct use of greetings, closings, capitalization of Sie, and neutral vocabulary.

Code-Switching and Mixed Contexts

In modern working life, you often have to switch register quickly. For example:

• du with colleagues, but Sie with customers in the same meeting
• du with team members in internal chats, but more formal tone in emails to external partners
• Sie in one part of a company, du in another

You should be able to:

• maintain consistent pronoun use with each person
• adjust vocabulary between neutral professional terms and relaxed informal expressions
• keep polite forms for conflicts or disagreements, even when you normally use du

For instance, you might say to a colleague with du:

• Du, ich sehe das anders. Können wir noch einmal darüber sprechen?

To a customer with Sie in the same meeting:

• Ich verstehe Ihren Punkt, aber ich würde vorschlagen, dass wir diese Lösung noch einmal prüfen.

Here the pronoun and degree of directness change, while the basic message remains the same.

Vocabulary List