The Use of First- and Second-Person Pronouns in German

Authors

• Wilita Sriuranpong

Publication Date

2021-12-29

Abstract

First- and second-person pronouns are important for effective communication in many languages including German. Thus, learners and users of German as a foreign language have to be capable of using these address pronouns appropriately in various contexts and situations. This paper explores the usage of these pronouns in various contexts and with various meanings, arguing that there are many factors determining the use of these pronouns, especially du and Sie in contemporary German, such as age, social status, relationship between interlocutors and context of use. Therefore, in order to select appropriate address pronouns, learners and users of German need to possess sociopragmatic competence in addition to grammatical competence.

First Page

82

Last Page

102

Recommended Citation

Sriuranpong, Wilita (2021) "The Use of First- and Second-Person Pronouns in German," Journal of Letters: Vol. 50: Iss. 2, Article 6.
Available at: https://digital.car.chula.ac.th/jletters/vol50/iss2/6