wir
we
First-person plural personal pronoun in the nominative. It refers to a group that includes the speaker.
EXAMPLE
Morgen fahren wir zu unseren Großeltern.
Tomorrow we are going to our grandparents.
wir
we
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Meanings
wir
we
Used to make a general statement about a large group (e.g. society, humanity) or to create a sense of community (inclusive we).
EXAMPLE
Wir müssen als Gesellschaft besser auf die Umwelt achten.
We as a society need to take better care of the environment.
wir
we
Used by a single person to refer to themselves, typically by monarchs (royal we) or by authors in academic texts (authorial we).
EXAMPLE
In diesem Artikel zeigen wir, dass die bisherige Annahme falsch ist.
In this article, we show that the previous assumption is false.
Usage tips
Subject and verb
When 'wir' (we) is the subject in a sentence, the conjugated verb almost always ends in '-en'. 'Wir' always refers to a group that includes the person speaking.
EXAMPLE
Wir lernen zusammen Deutsch.
We are learning German together.
The inclusive 'we'
In speeches or general statements, 'wir' (we) is often used to include a large group (e.g. the citizens of a country, humanity). It creates a sense of community and shared responsibility.
EXAMPLE
Wir müssen mehr für den Klimaschutz tun.
We need to do more for climate protection.
The author's 'we'
In scientific and academic texts, a single author often uses 'wir' (we) instead of 'ich' (I). This sounds less personal and is meant to include the reader in the argument.
EXAMPLE
Wie wir im nächsten Abschnitt zeigen werden, ist diese Hypothese korrekt.
As we will show in the next section, this hypothesis is correct.
Compare with
wir vs ich
I
A single author can refer to themselves with ich or wir. Ich sounds personal and directly identifies the speaker. Wir is possible as an authorial plural, especially in academic texts, and creates more distance even though only one person is writing.
wir
In diesem wissenschaftlichen Artikel untersuchen wir die Folgen des Klimawandels.
In this academic article, we examine the consequences of climate change.
ich
In diesem Artikel untersuche ich die Folgen des Klimawandels.
In this article, I examine the consequences of climate change.
In real life
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