"Sie sind ein Mädchen."

[polyboy94]

Why is "Sie sind ein Mädchen." a correct translation of "you are a girl." ? I understand that it's technically grammatically correct, but it doesn't really make sense to say you(plural) are a girl.

[blackwind]

Sie is formal you and Sie/sie uses the infinitive. This means you're saying "You(formal) are a girl" although it doesn't make much sense as kids are usually never spoken to formally because others kids are their age and adults usually speak to children informally.

[willkooi]

Yes, in this case Sie is a formal "you", which you would use with someone you don't know.

[DanLingo]

Ahahah it was a girl from the Royal Family ;D

[itsbutters2011]

Du bist ein Mädchen

[steeph]

And BTW: You (plural) is not sie but ihr ;)

[duodanny]

blackwind: Beginning (I believe in Gymansium) students and teachers both use the formal you. So it wouldn't be that weird for a high school teacher to say to a female student "you are a girl".

[blackwind]

duodanny: I was thinking more like of 5 year olds and what not but I suppose that makes sense.

[kragi]

Pupils are spoken to formally in school at age 15 or 16. So it actually should be "Sie sind eine junge Dame." I would say "Du" to a younger girl of a royal family too, not "Sie". But well, this is Duolingo. The sentence is gramatically correct.

[SimonMazzucca]

But shouldn't it be eine ?