English–German

“address someone formally” in German

German

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈziːtsən/

Example

Wir siezen uns bei der Arbeit.

We address each other formally at work.

Illustration for siezen (address someone formally)

How to say “address someone formally” in German

“Address someone formally” in German is siezen.

Two speakers maintain a formal conversational boundary by using Sie instead of du.

Full entry for siezen: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with siezen

Viele Kollegen siezen ihren Vorgesetzten aus Höflichkeit.

Many colleagues address their supervisor formally out of politeness.

Tips for using siezen

  • The verb siezen is written in lowercase, while the formal pronoun Sie remains capitalized.

“address someone formally” in other languages