Anreden

Anreden are the forms used to address someone directly in German and in other languages; they include pronouns, courtesy titles, and salutations, and they convey social relations, formality, and politeness. They cover both the pronoun system (Sie vs du) and titles such as Herr, Frau, Dr., Prof., as well as compound forms used in greetings and letter openings.

In German, the central distinction is between the formal Höflichkeitsanrede (Sie, Ihnen, Ihr) and the informal Anrede (du, dich, dein). The formal form Sie is used in professional, public, and certain social situations to show respect or distance; the informal du is used among family, friends, and peers to express closeness. Titles precede a surname and can be combined with credentials (Herr Prof. Dr. Müller). In letter writing, common openings are "Sehr geehrter Herr" or "Sehr geehrte Frau," followed by sentences that use Sie as the pronoun.

Usage varies by country and context. Fräulein is now largely outdated. In Switzerland, Sie remains common in formal contexts, while Duzen is increasingly used in private and some workplaces; in Austria, formal address is still widespread in business and administration.

In sociolinguistics, Anreden encode power, status, and solidarity. Switching from Sie to du is a deliberate choice that signals a change in relationship and is often governed by etiquette, organizational rules, or mutual agreement.