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How to Say ‘By the way, we all use first names here.’ in German

Wir duzen uns hier übrigens alle.

veer DOO-tsen oons heer UE-bri-gens AH-leh

[veer DOO-tsen oons heer UE-bri-gens AH-leh]

🇩🇪 In Germany: Many startups and international offices use du across the board, while traditional firms often stick with Sie. Wait for a colleague to say this before switching yourself.

Phrase Breakdown

Wir duzen uns hier

veer DOO-tsen oons heer

We say 'du' to each other here

'duzen' means using the informal 'du'. 'z' sounds like 'ts'.

Example

Wir duzen uns hier im Team.

We say 'du' to each other here in the team.

Words in this phrase

Wir

[veer]

Pronoun for a group including the speaker.

Example

Wir arbeiten gern zusammen.

We like working together.

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?

uns

[oons]

us; ourselves

A reflexive pronoun used when the action refers back to the people involved.

Example

Es ist schön, dass wir uns kennengelernt haben.

It is nice that we got to know each other.

hier

[heer]

here

Refers to this place, such as the current event or location.

Example

Es ist gut, hier neue Leute kennenzulernen.

It is good to meet new people here.

übrigens alle.

UE-bri-gens AH-leh

by the way, all of us

'übrigens' means 'by the way' and is stressed on 'Ü': 'Ü-bri-gens'. 'alle' means 'everyone'.

Example

Wir kommen übrigens alle mit.

By the way, we're all coming along.

Words in this phrase

übrigens

[UE-bri-gens]

by the way

Adds extra information casually.

Example

Ich habe übrigens Zeit.

By the way, I have time.

alle

[AH-leh]

all

Plural form of 'all', meaning every one of a group.

Example

Alle Freunde kommen.

All the friends are coming.

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.

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