👥🗣️👤

How to Say ‘In the team, we're on a first-name basis.’ in German

Im Team duzen wir uns.

im teem DOO-tsen veer oons

[im teem DOO-tsen veer oons]

💬 Usage Tip: When the sentence starts with something else, like Im Team, the verb stays in second place and wir moves after it. So it's duzen wir, not wir duzen.

🇩🇪 In Germany: Many companies, especially startups and tech firms, use du internally, while traditional firms often keep Sie. This tells you a lot about the culture, so it's worth asking or listening for.

Phrase Breakdown

Im Team

im teem

In the team

'im' is short for 'in dem'. 'Team' is pronounced as in English.

Example

Im Team arbeiten wir gut.

We work well in the team.

Words in this phrase

[im]

in the

A contraction of in dem, commonly used before masculine or neuter nouns in the dative case.

Example

Im Gespräch mit Mitarbeitenden erfährt man viel über die Firma.

In conversation with employees, you learn a lot about the company.

Team

[teem]

team

A group of people working together toward a shared goal.

Example

Ein gutes Team kommuniziert offen.

A good team communicates openly.

duzen wir uns.

DOO-tsen veer oons

we use 'du' with each other

The verb comes second, so 'wir' moves after it. The 'z' sounds like 'ts'.

Example

Seit gestern duzen wir uns.

We've been using 'du' since yesterday.

Words in this phrase

duzen

[DOO-tsen]

to address each other informally (with 'du')

Verb meaning to use the informal 'du' instead of formal 'Sie'.

Example

Wollen wir uns duzen?

Shall we use 'du' with each other?

wir

[veer]

Pronoun for a group including the speaker.

Example

Wir arbeiten gern zusammen.

We like working together.

uns

[oons]

ourselves

Reflexive pronoun used with setzen.

Example

Wollen wir uns etwas näher zusammensetzen?

Shall we sit a little closer together?

Guides for German learners

Duolingo vs Pimsleur: Tapping on a Screen or Talking Out Loud?Duolingo vs Pimsleur: five minutes of tapping versus thirty minutes of speaking. What each is good at, what each costs, and which to pick for your goal.

Get the Full Learning Experience

This lesson is just a preview. Download PrettyFluent to practice pronunciation, roleplay conversations, and master vocabulary with spaced repetition.

Pronunciation Feedback

AI-powered feedback on what you say out loud

Spaced Repetition

Retain vocabulary long-term with smart practice

Immersive Roleplaying

Practice real conversations with AI partners

Lessons for Your Situation

Request lessons tailored to your specific needs

Get Full Lesson

What Learners Are Saying

“Berlin bureaucracy requires real German. This app got me from zero to handling my Anmeldung appointment in three weeks. My coworkers couldn’t believe it.”

Emma L., 27, UX Researcher

“Relocated to Munich with my family. The everyday scenarios — grocery shopping, doctor visits, school meetings — are exactly what we needed to settle in.”

Marcus J., 40, Engineer

“Learning a language has never been as immediately impactful. Now I can charm the locals and navigate the food scene like a boss.”

Alex M., 42, Software Engineer