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      An exchange: present 'haben' and 'sein', 'Sie' (formal) vs 'du'

      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can use the informal 'du' and formal 'Sie' correctly when talking to friends or adults on an exchange trip.

      Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons

      Key learning points

      1. Long and short [u] and [ü] need practice and clarity as the umlaut is often added to form plural nouns.
      2. Certain expressions which use 'haben' (to have) translate differently in English, e.g., 'Ich habe Hunger' - I am hungry.
      3. Use 'du' (you, sing.) for a friend, family member or person you know well, and 'Sie' for adults you address by surname.
      4. Verbs with 'Sie' (you, formal) are the same as the infinitive (dictionary) form.
      5. 'Sie' (you, formal) is written with a capital letter.

      Keywords

      • [u] - pronounced long as in ‘du’ or short as in ‘Punkt’

      • [ü] - pronounced long as in ‘Tür’ or short as in ‘fünf’

      • Haben - irregular verb meaning ‘to have, having’

      • Sein - irregular verb meaning ‘to be, being’

      • Sie - formal word for ‘you’ used for adults we address by surname

      Common misconception

      We always use ‘du’ to mean ‘you’ in German.

      'Du' is informal 'you'. You should use 'Sie' (formal 'you') when speaking with adults that you address by surname. Use 'du' with friends, family, other people you know very well and other children.

      Teacher tip

      Extend Task C2 by asking students to write and perform a role-play based on an exchange trip.

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0
      except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions
      (Collection 2).

      Lesson video

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      Prior knowledge starter quiz

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Order the numbers from smallest to largest.

      1 - dreizehn
      2 - sechzehn
      3 - siebzehn
      4 - zwanzig
      5 - zweiundzwanzig
      6 - dreißig
      7 - einunddreißig

      Q2.
      Match the German and English.

      Correct Answer:Bahnhof (m),train station
      Correct Answer:Fluss (m),river
      Correct Answer:Geschäft (nt),shop
      Correct Answer:Karte (f),card, ticket
      Correct Answer:Kino (nt),cinema
      Correct Answer:Konzert (nt),concert

      Q3.
      'Ich stelle das Buch __________ den Tisch.' Choose the correct missing word.

      Correct answer: an
      ans
      in
      ins

      Q4.
      'He fell.'. Choose the correct translation.

      Er hat gefallen.
      Correct answer: Er ist gefallen.
      Er hat gefallt.
      Er ist gefallt.

      Q5.
      Write in English: 'Ich liege auf dem Bett.'

      Correct Answer: I lie on the bed., I am lying on the bed.

      Q6.
      Write in German: 'You (singular informal) jump into the water.'

      Correct Answer: Du springst ins Wasser., Du springst in das Wasser.

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Vowels are short when ...

      Correct answer: followed by more than one consonant.
      followed by a single consonant.
      followed by the letter 'h'.
      there is a double vowel.

      Q2.
      Match the German and English.

      Correct Answer:Bruder,brother
      Correct Answer:Brüder,brothers
      Correct Answer:Mutter,mother
      Correct Answer:Mütter,mothers

      Q3.
      Which of these words mean 'you'?

      Correct answer: du
      dein
      ihre
      sie
      Correct answer: Sie

      Q4.
      Order the words to say: 'I found the apartment pleasant.'

      1 - ich
      2 - habe
      3 - die
      4 - Wohnung
      5 - angenehm
      6 - gefunden

      Q5.
      Write in German: 'You (singular informal) are hungry.'

      Correct Answer: Du hast Hunger.

      Q6.
      Write in German: 'You (singular formal) are in pain.'

      Correct Answer: Sie haben Schmerzen.

      To help you plan your 8 German lesson on: An exchange: present 'haben' and 'sein', 'Sie' (formal) vs 'du', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...