German word

dir

Pronunciation

IPA/diːɐ̯/

Meaning

  • pronounyou

Example

Ich wünsche dir viel Erfolg.

I wish you every success.

Illustration for dir (you)

More examples

Ich helfe dir morgen.

I am helping you tomorrow.

Core concept

An action is directed toward one known person as its recipient or beneficiary.

Common phrases

  • helfen dir

    help you

  • glauben dir

    believe you

  • antworten dir

    answer you

Similar words

du: Used to address one familiar person directly.
dich: Used for one familiar person directly affected by an action.
Ihnen: Used politely for one person who receives or benefits from an action.
euch: Used informally for several people who receive or benefit from an action.

Definition in German

Gibt an, wem in der 2. Person Singular (du) etwas gegeben, gesagt oder geholfen wird.

Word origin

Dir is an inherited Germanic form related to du, preserved as the dative case of the modern second-person singular pronoun.

Usage tips

  • Verbs such as helfen and danken take dir, whereas verbs such as sehen take the accusative form dich.

Related words

  • duzenaddress someone using duverb

Word lists with this word