Ser – German form of address, gender-neutral

gender-neutral form of address in the German language, alongside “Herr” and “Frau”

Part of speech

form of address (noun, neuter)

Pronunciation

[sɛʁ] – rhymes with German “wer” and “der”

Origin

blend of the German pronouns Sie (she) and Er (he)

Introduced

2026, by the project ser-anrede.de

Meaning

Ser is a gender-neutral form of address in German, used before the surname in place of “Herr” (Mr.) or “Frau” (Ms.). It is intended for people who identify as neither male nor female – such as non-binary, agender, genderfluid or intersex people – and for anyone who prefers to be addressed neutrally.

The word is formed by blending the two German pronouns Sie (she) and Er (he); the shared “e” forms the bridge. Grammatically, Ser is treated as neuter, so the formal salutation is “Sehr geehrtes Ser”.

Usage and examples

Like “Herr” and “Frau”, Ser is placed directly before the surname and is not used as a standalone title.

Grammar

The neuter ending “-es” follows from treating Ser as grammatically neuter: neither the feminine ending (“-e”) nor the masculine one (“-er”) applies.

Not to be confused with

• the English honorific “Sir” – which is exclusively masculine;
• the knightly title “Ser” in George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones (“A Song of Ice and Fire”) – a fictional title for (knighted) men;
• the Spanish and Portuguese verb ser (“to be”).

The German form of address Ser is independent of all three: it is exclusively a gender-neutral form of address in the German language.

Ser and English “Mx.”

Both Ser and “Mx.” serve the same basic function: a title placed before a surname that does not indicate the addressee’s gender. “Mx.” developed within English as a variant slotted alongside “Mr.” and “Ms.” Ser was coined specifically for German in 2026, formed from the pronouns Sie (she) and Er (he), with the shared “e” acting as a bridge between the two words.

The two forms differ in how they fit their respective languages. “Mx.” is typically read as an abbreviation and has no single fixed pronunciation across English varieties. Ser is a full word, pronounced [sɛʁ], and takes grammatical neuter gender – for example, “Sehr geehrtes Ser Müller” in formal German or “Liebes Ser Schmidt” in informal German.

Neither term is a state-mandated title. Ser originated as a societal initiative through the project ser-anrede.de. Its adoption in German correspondence is voluntary, in the same way that using “Mx.” in English correspondence is voluntary.

Using Ser as a non-German speaker

When writing to a German contact whose preferred form of address is unknown or explicitly non-binary, Ser can be placed before the surname exactly where “Herr” or “Frau” would otherwise go – for instance “Ser Fischer”, or, in a formal letter opening, “Sehr geehrtes Ser Fischer”. This works the same way in English-language correspondence directed at German recipients: “Dear Ser Fischer” follows the identical pattern as “Dear Mr. Fischer” or “Dear Ms. Fischer”.

In email, Ser can be used in the salutation line without any adjustment for a non-German audience, since it functions as a direct address term rather than a translated one. It should always precede the surname only, not the first name, and should not be used as a standalone form of address without a name attached.

If you are uncertain whether a specific contact uses Ser, “Herr” or “Frau”, the most reliable approach is to check how the person signs their own name or email, or to ask directly.

Legal context

Since 1 November 2024, people in Germany can change their registered gender by simple declaration at the registry office under the Self-Determination Act (SBGG); besides “male” and “female”, the options “diverse” and “no entry” are available. As early as 2017, the Federal Constitutional Court ruled that people beyond the gender binary are protected in their gender identity (decision of 10 October 2017, 1 BvR 2019/16). German law does not yet prescribe a form of address for this group – Ser is a proposal that fills this gap.

Prevalence

The 2022 census recorded 969 people in Germany with the gender entry “diverse” and 1,259 people with no gender entry. According to the Federal Statistical Office, around 10,600 changes of registered gender were declared in 2024 alone after the SBGG came into force, and a further ca. 15,100 between January and November 2025.

Sources and links

1. ser-anrede.de – project site for the Ser form of address (origin, examples, legal guide)
2. Self-Determination Act (SBGG) – legal text at gesetze-im-internet.de
3. Federal Constitutional Court, decision of 10 October 2017 – 1 BvR 2019/16 (“third option”)
4. Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) – 2022 census and statistics on changes of registered gender
5. Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency