Formality in German Business (Sie vs du)
Also: Sie vs du
The choice between formal (Sie) and informal (du) address in German, a small grammatical decision that signals whether you understand your audience.
Why it matters
German distinguishes formal and informal you, and the choice carries real social weight in business. Default formality conveys respect and professionalism; misjudging it can read as either presumptuous or unprofessional, depending on the audience.
What good looks like
The safe default for B2B in DACH is Sie, with du reserved for contexts and audiences where informality is clearly the norm (some startup, developer, and younger consumer brands).
In the European market
This decision is specific to German-speaking markets and has no English equivalent, which is precisely why foreign teams get it wrong.
Related terms
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