Swiss German formality: Sie vs du (the two types of you)

Don't worry, everything's fine with your eyes - that was just my cam going in and out of focus. Sorry about that, haha.

Ok, so basically:

first name terms: du
last name terms: Sie

25 or younger: du
25 or older: Sie

informal setting: du
formal setting: Sie

informal: usually clothing stores, university, class rooms (except for teachers, you always use Sie)
formal or neutral: bank, post office, stores (except for clothing stores), pharmacies, at the doctor's...

also, little tip: even if your boyfriend or girlfriend tells you you can call their parents by their name, ALWAYS say 'Sie' until the parents themselves say "call me ____" (whatever their first name is).
In general, if you're unsure whether to say Sie or du to another grown up, it's always safer to use Sie as that's more polite. If they don't want you to say Sie to them, they'll tell you and then you can switch :)

Hi/Hello formal: grüezi
Hi/Hello informal/neutral: hoi, hallo

Goodbye, bye formal: ade, adieu, uf widrluegä!
Goodbye, bye informal: tschüss, tschüssli!

x mary

Category:

Education

Tags:

• swiss german
• schwiizerdütsch
• Sie vs Du
• formal vs informal
• english

[Liface]

25 oder älter siezen? Echt? Ich duzen fast jeden der unter 40 ist... ich bin aber ein Amerikaner, wir sind ein bissle mehr relaxed

[Maryangel24]

@Liface genau deswegen hab' ich dieses video gemacht. viele wissen nicht, wann sie "Sie" eigentlich benutzen SOLLTEN. some people could be really offended if you say du to them instead of Sie. :)

[MiSsBeAuTiFuL333]

4:46 u meant forever21 didnt you ? ;)

[Maryangel24]

@MiSsBeAuTiFuL333 hahaha yeh. i've never noticed that i said forever young instead of forever 21, hahaha. i'm an idiot :D

[AbcSchoolOfPolish]

merci fur dini unterricht.

da ist mega cool.

Mini schizerduessch is shon pizli besser.

[Maryangel24]

@AbcSchoolOfPolish hey du, messi für din kommentar :) das freut mi! fliessig üebä! :)

[JimboniusIV]

@Maryangel24 -- Yeah, I would think so! Looking back on my comment, I was puzzled as to why I was being so formal. I think I just wanted to use four s words in a sentence!

[Maryangel24]

@schweitzer1 hoi! :D yeh, i guess it's easier for you anyway as there is the distinction between tú i usted o vosotros y ustedes in spanish :) thank you for your nice comment!! :)

[schweitzer1]

Hoi! Actually it wasn't difficult, you explained it very well :) Greets from a swiss-mexican trying to learn schwiitzertüütsch! Great videos, thanks

[Maryangel24]

@bobb22ful thank you very much :)