KS3 · German · Year 8
An exchange: 'haben' and 'sein', 'Sie' vs 'du', infinitive clauses with 'zu'
An exchange: present tense, 'haben' and 'sein', formal 'Sie' vs 'du', cases
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IllumED Slides
IllumED · 1/11
Your learning goal
I can distinguish between and use 'du', 'Sie' (you) and 'sie' (they), and use two-verb structures with 'zu' plus infinitive.
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An exchange: 'haben' and 'sein', 'Sie' vs 'du', infinitive clauses with 'zu': slides adapted from the imported teaching text; recall questions created from its keywords, learning points and common mistakes. Self-check practice, with no automatic grading or XP. Answers stay on this page and are cleared when you leave.
Original teaching resources
The original illustrated PowerPoint is available as well as the IllumED text slides. It retains the publisher’s design and credits.
Download original PowerPoint ↓What you’ll learn
I can distinguish between and use 'du', 'Sie' (you) and 'sie' (they), and use two-verb structures with 'zu' plus infinitive.
Key learning points
- Use 'du' (you, singular) for a friend, family member, person you know well, and 'Sie' for adults you address by surname.
- 'Sie' (you, formal) is written with a capital letter, but 'sie' (they) starts with lowercase.
- If 'Sie' begins a sentence (and hence has a capital letter) use other clues to help decide if 'Sie' means you or they.
- Modal verbs are followed by the infinitive, which goes to the end of the sentence. Other verbs use 'zu' plus infinitive.
- In 2-verb structures, the 2nd verb in the infinitive is at the end of the sentence.
Words to know
- du
- subject pronoun meaning 'you' (singular), used in informal language
- Sie
- subject pronoun meaning 'you', used in formal language
- infinitive
- form of the verb giving its general meaning, with no subject or tense; the dictionary form of the verb
- zu
- word meaning 'to', used before the infinitive when there are 2 verbs in a sentence, but not with modal verbs
Common mistakes
'Sie' always means 'she'.
'Sie' can mean 'she', 'they' or 'you (formal)'. Check the verb endings used alongside the pronoun and the spelling of 'sie' to determine the correct translation. Formal 'Sie' is always written with a capital letter.
For parents, carers and teachers
- If students have exchange families, extend Task B by asking them to write a postcard or email to their exchange family. They could address it to the parents to practise using 'Sie'.