wir

German

Alternative forms
  • Wir (pluralis majestatis)
  • -wa, wa (rare, colloquial)

Etymology

From Middle High German wir, from Old High German wir, from Proto-West Germanic *wiʀ. Compare Low German wi, Dutch wij, English we, Danish vi, Icelandic vér, Gothic 𐍅𐌴𐌹𐍃 (weis).

Pronunciation
  • (standard) IPA(key): /viːɐ̯/
  • Rhymes: -iːɐ̯
  • Audio(file)
  • Audio(file)
  • (colloquially in unstressed position) IPA(key): /vɐ/, /mɐ/

Pronoun

wir

  1. we

Declension
German personal pronouns
singular plural singular and plural
1st person 2nd person
familiar1		 3rd person 1st person 2nd person
familiar1		 3rd person 2nd person
polite/formal
m f n
nominative ich du
-e2		 er sie
-se2		 es wir ihr sie
-se2		 Sie
Ihr3
genitive meiner
mein3		 deiner
dein3		 seiner
sein3		 ihrer seiner
sein3		 unser euer ihrer Ihrer
Euer3
dative mir dir ihm ihr ihm uns euch ihnen Ihnen
Euch3
accusative mich dich ihn sie
-se2		 es uns euch sie
-se2		 Sie
Euch3

1These forms are sometimes capitalized, especially in letters.    2enclitic, colloquial    3archaic

  • The genitive case unser is used more and more rarely in modern German.
  • While the genitive of a personal pronoun does express ownership, it must not be confused with a possessive pronoun. While possessive pronouns such as unser are put in front of the noun they relate to and follow the inflection rules of adjectives, the genitive form of a personal pronoun has only one form, which is not further inflected. Additionally, personal pronouns in the genitive can be put after the word they relate to.

Further reading
  • “wir” in Duden online
  • “wir” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Middle High German

Etymology

From Old High German wir, from Proto-West Germanic *wiʀ, from Proto-Germanic *wīz, *wiz.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /wir/

Pronoun

wir

  1. we: nominative plural of ich

Descendants
  • Bavarian:
  • German: wir

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *wīraz. Cognate with Middle Low German wīre, and related to late Old Norse víravirki (“filigree work”), Old High German wiara.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /wiːr/

Noun

wīr m (nominative plural wīras)

  1. wire
  2. (botany) myrtle

Descendants

Old High German

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *wiʀ, from Proto-Germanic *wīz, *wiz.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /wiːr/

Pronoun

wir

  1. we: nominative plural of ih

Descendants

Polish

Etymology

Inherited from Old Polish wir, from Proto-Slavic *virъ.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /vir/
  • Audio(file)
  • Rhymes: -ir
  • Syllabification: wir

Noun

wir m inan

  1. vortex
    Synonyms: kłębowisko, odmęt
    wir polarny ― polar vortex
  2. whirlpool
    Synonyms: topiel, odmęt
  3. whirl
    Synonyms: kłębowisko, kotłowisko
  4. swirl
    Synonym: trąba powietrzna
  5. eddy
  6. gyre
    Wir Morza Beauforta ― Beaufort Gyre
  7. whirlwind

Declension
Declension of wir
singular plural
nominative wir wiry
genitive wiru wirów
dative wirowi wirom
accusative wir wiry
instrumental wirem wirami
locative wirze wirach
vocative wirze wiry

Derived terms
noun
verb

Further reading
  • wir in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
  • wir in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Scots

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /wər/

Etymology 1

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

wir

  1. simple past tense of be
Usage notes

Wir is used with plural pronouns, and wis is used otherwise.

Etymology 2

Northumbrian Old English *war, a borrowing from Old Norse várr, from Proto-Germanic *unseraz. (The inherited term is oor via Old English ūre.) Compare Northumbrian English wor.

Alternative forms

Determiner

wir

  1. our
    Synonym: oor
  2. my
    Synonym: ma

Welsh

Noun

wir

  1. Soft mutation of gwir.

Mutation
Welsh mutation
radical soft nasal aspirate
gwir wir ngwir unchanged
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.
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