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Look who made the cover of Der Spiegel (Original Post) sinkingfeeling Friday OP
Who is it? CurtEastPoint Friday #1
It's a cover story about the increasing use of informal forms of German in the public sphere (Du versus Sie for instance Celerity Friday #6
Like t versus usted? Iggo Friday #8
Celerity Friday #9
Fucking autocorrect. Iggo Friday #17
Yes. ShazzieB Friday #11
I think the most common usage is to use "Sie" when meeting for the first time... Wounded Bear Friday #12
Yes, Sie for first meeting Old Crank Friday #16
LOL EarlG Friday #2
Give Der Spiegel a free years Star Member subscription,.. magicarpet Friday #4
In German, the word "du" is the informal form of "you." wnylib Friday #5
like "tu" and "vous" in French. generalbetrayus Friday #7
Or "tu" and "usted" in Spanish. Marcuse Friday #14
Well done... displacedvermoter Friday #3
Is Melaaaaaaaniaaaaah on the pages in between? twodogsbarking Friday #10
Nah - the Germans have class. erronis Friday #13
I must be so fuckin' DENSE!...... some_of_us_are_sane Friday #15
Actually, since it is a German paper, I think it is saying, "Hey, you!" wnylib Yesterday #18
Next magazine cover to aspire for... True Dough Yesterday #19

Celerity

(54,457 posts)
6. It's a cover story about the increasing use of informal forms of German in the public sphere (Du versus Sie for instance
Fri Apr 3, 2026, 12:54 PM
Friday

when it comes to 'you', with 'Du' being informal versus the formal 'Sie').

Du VS Sie? How to address people in German!

ShazzieB

(22,624 posts)
11. Yes.
Fri Apr 3, 2026, 01:54 PM
Friday

Another example is tu v. vous in French.

As an American, I have always found this distinction between different forms of "you" hard to grasp (not the concept, but how and when to use them). English is a tough language to learn in many ways, but at least this one aspect is simple: in English, "you" means "you," not matter who "you" is.

Wounded Bear

(64,355 posts)
12. I think the most common usage is to use "Sie" when meeting for the first time...
Fri Apr 3, 2026, 01:58 PM
Friday

Kind of like calling someone "sir" in English when you first meet.

The informal "du" is for someone you already know fairly well.

(High school German student)

Old Crank

(7,100 posts)
16. Yes, Sie for first meeting
Fri Apr 3, 2026, 02:09 PM
Friday

Sie also for old school bosses. Sie for Polizei.
Du for addressing children, immer(always), they will look at you funny if you use the formal.

magicarpet

(18,554 posts)
4. Give Der Spiegel a free years Star Member subscription,..
Fri Apr 3, 2026, 11:27 AM
Friday

... for their kind recognition of Democratic Underground on their magazine front cover.

(a international public relations coup d' tat.)

some_of_us_are_sane

(3,215 posts)
15. I must be so fuckin' DENSE!......
Fri Apr 3, 2026, 02:03 PM
Friday
IT'S STARING ME RIGHT IN THE FACE! "Hey DU!" -"Hey, DEMOCRATIC UNDERGROUND!"- Sheesh!

(I'm gonna go sit in the corner.... )

wnylib

(26,073 posts)
18. Actually, since it is a German paper, I think it is saying, "Hey, you!"
Sat Apr 4, 2026, 05:34 AM
Yesterday

In German, "du" means "you."

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