′I by mistake addressed my biology teacher with Du, and he asked me if earlier we had been fattening the pigs in the pigsty together.′ 1(Informant Q)
′There is a grey zone in which a speaker may not know whether to use du or Sie, and in that case it is always safer to use Sie. A young girl, very tall for her age, would probably feel flattered to be addressed as Sie, whereas a short, undersized young woman would be embarrassed at being addressed with du.′ (Hammond 1981: 190)
′(...) you should not use du to a person with whom you are not familiar. A woman should not use du to a man she doesn′t know well, although she may, of course, deliberately use the du form to him, if she cares to. (...) The Germans have their problems with du and Sie.′ (Strutz 1986: 84)
The Germans, or, to be more precise, Germanspeaking people do have problems indeed with choosing the appropriate form of address. In most cases, it is a question of politeness to use the more formal ′Sie′ to people you do not know very well, especially if they are older than you. There are, however, many instances, where the ′Sie′ is felt to be rather inappropriate and may even make the addressed feel very uncomfortable. Especially younger people can find it rather irritating to be addressed with ′Sie′, in particular when the addresser is about the same age or an acquaintance. To switch from polite ′Sie′ to more casual ′Du′ is most of the time a daring enterprise for the speakers involved, whereas to switch from ′Du′ to ′Sie′ almost seems impossible, at least without causing major irritation.
Table of Contents
- The Problem of ‘Du’ and ‘Sie’ in the German Language
- The Problem
- Brown and Gilman's remarks on the T/V distinction
- Research on German ‘Du’/’Sie’ Usage
- The Questionnaire and My Findings
- Power and Solidarity?
- ‘Du’ by Mistake
- Disrespectful ‘Du’ Usage
- Service Situations
- Age Difference
- School
- University
Objectives and Key Themes
This paper explores the complexities of the German address system, particularly the choice between the informal 'Du' and the formal 'Sie'. It aims to understand the social factors that influence this choice, including power dynamics, solidarity, age, and the historical context of T/V distinction. The paper draws on a combination of personal observations, interviews with native speakers, and a questionnaire administered to German-speaking university students.
- The influence of power and solidarity in choosing between 'Du' and 'Sie'
- The role of age in determining appropriate address forms
- The historical context of T/V distinction in German
- The impact of societal changes on German address patterns
- The use of 'Du' and 'Sie' in various social settings, including work, school, and service situations
Chapter Summaries
- The Problem: This section introduces the problem of choosing the appropriate form of address in German, highlighting the complexities and nuances involved.
- Brown and Gilman's remarks on the T/V distinction: This chapter discusses the work of Brown and Gilman, who introduced the concepts of power and solidarity to explain the T/V distinction in languages.
- Research on German ‘Du’/’Sie’ Usage: This section examines previous research on the use of 'Du' and 'Sie' in German, highlighting limitations and outlining the need for further investigation.
- The Questionnaire and My Findings: This chapter presents the methodology used in the research, including the development of a questionnaire and the analysis of its results.
- Power and Solidarity?: This section delves into the interplay of power and solidarity in the choice between 'Du' and 'Sie', using examples from the questionnaire findings.
- ‘Du’ by Mistake: This chapter analyzes situations where 'Du' was used mistakenly, exploring the social consequences of such errors.
- Disrespectful ‘Du’ Usage: This section examines instances where 'Du' is used intentionally to show disrespect, analyzing the impact of this choice on social relationships.
- Service Situations: This chapter focuses on the use of 'Du' and 'Sie' in service situations, like shops and restaurants, and how power dynamics influence the choice of address form.
- Age Difference: This section explores the influence of age difference on the choice of address form, especially in relation to younger informants.
- School: This chapter investigates the use of 'Du' and 'Sie' in different school settings, analyzing the evolution of address patterns over time.
- University: This section examines the address patterns between students and professors, exploring the challenges of choosing an appropriate form.
Keywords
The paper focuses on the German address system, particularly the choice between the informal 'Du' and the formal 'Sie'. Key terms include power, solidarity, age, T/V distinction, politeness, respect, social distance, and informal/formal usage. The paper explores the impact of societal changes, particularly the shift toward more informal communication patterns, on the use of 'Du' and 'Sie'.
- Quote paper
- Martin Stepanek (Author), 1999, The problem of Du and Sie in the German Language. An approach., Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/9631
