hi! if it's okay to ask: is there a gender neutral pronoun you can use in german? i have no idea how to use 'they/them' in a german sentence and the fact that german genders almost everything doesn't make it easier... :c
Hey, I always love to talk about gender neutral language, thanks for the question!!
Hereâs a video (in German) that @podcastbuchstabensuppe did on this topic, and beginning from 8:00 on, itâs about various options for neutral pronouns and how to use them.
Thereâs âxâ which you use instead of the name or pronoun, like âThis is Ahmed. X likes flowersâ.
Thereâs âxierâ, which is one of the most commonly known German neopronouns. Anna heger has made an excellent comic about this zine, where it comes from and how to use it. (I personally think itâs rather complicated because like with most German language, you have to decline it in every case.)
Thereâs also âesâ like the English âitâ, but itâs only okay to use this for people who have explicitly given you the permission - otherwise it can seem degrading and dehumanizing.
some have started using âthey/themâ in a German-ified version which is âdey/dem/denenâ. It seems to work well, especially because itâs pretty close to the German language already, and itâs easier for bilingual people who already use they/them in English.
some use âper/persâ (short for âpersonâ). This seems very easy as you barely have to decline it.
some use no pronouns at all, just their name all the way through. Thereâs also always plenty of ways to avoid pronouns altogether by changing a sentence. So instead of âDas ist sein/ihr Stiftâ you can always say âder eigene Stiftâ or âder Stift gehĂśrt ____â
Sadly, there isnât any commonly known and easy to use neutral pronoun in German like there is with âthey/themâ in English. But itâs still always worth looking at the various options, and asking people what they prefer for themselves.
