Indefinite Pronouns (man, jemand, niemand, etwas, nichts)
Indefinite pronouns refer to non-specific or unknown people, things, or quantities. They are essential for general statements, questions, and negative expressions. This lesson covers the most important German indefinite pronouns.
1. Man (One / You / People in General)
Man is one of the most frequently used words in German. It refers to people in general — equivalent to English "one," "you" (generic), or "people":
- Man spricht hier Deutsch. — One speaks / People speak / They speak German here.
- Man soll nicht lügen. — One should not lie. / You should not lie.
- Wie schreibt man das? — How does one write that? / How do you spell that?
- Man kann nie wissen. — You never know.
- Man sagt, dass es morgen regnet. — They say it will rain tomorrow.
Important Notes
- Man is always the subject (nominative).
- It takes a third person singular verb: man spricht, man kann, man sagt.
- For accusative, use einen: Das ärgert einen. (That annoys one.)
- For dative, use einem: Das hilft einem nicht. (That does not help one.)
- For possessive, use sein: Man muss sein Bestes tun. (One must do one's best.)
Do not confuse man with Mann (man, as in a male person). They sound the same but are spelled differently.
2. Jemand (Someone / Somebody)
Jemand refers to an unspecified person:
- Jemand hat angerufen. — Someone called.
- Kennst du jemand(en), der das reparieren kann? — Do you know someone who can fix that?
- Ich habe jemand(em) geholfen. — I helped someone.
- Ist da jemand? — Is someone there?
Declension (Optional in Spoken German)
| Case | Full Form | Casual Form |
|---|
| Nominative | jemand | jemand |
| Accusative | jemanden | jemand |
| Dative | jemandem | jemand |
| Genitive | jemandes | jemands |
In casual speech, the endings are often dropped: Ich habe jemand gesehen. (instead of jemanden). Both are acceptable.
3. Niemand (No One / Nobody)
Niemand is the negative counterpart of jemand:
- Niemand war zu Hause. — No one was at home.
- Ich habe niemand(en) gesehen. — I saw no one.
- Niemand hat mir geholfen. — Nobody helped me.
- Das hat niemand erwartet. — Nobody expected that.
Declension (Same Optional Pattern as Jemand)
| Case | Full Form | Casual Form |
|---|
| Nominative | niemand | niemand |
| Accusative | niemanden | niemand |
| Dative | niemandem | niemand |
| Genitive | niemandes | niemands |
4. Etwas (Something / Some)
Etwas refers to an unspecified thing or amount:
- Ich möchte etwas trinken. — I would like something to drink.
- Hast du etwas gehört? — Did you hear something?
- Er hat mir etwas Interessantes erzählt. — He told me something interesting.
- Möchten Sie etwas Wasser? — Would you like some water?
- Das ist etwas Besonderes. — That is something special.
Important Notes
- Etwas is indeclinable — it does not change form.
- When followed by an adjective, the adjective takes a capitalised, neuter, strong ending: etwas Gutes, etwas Neues, etwas Interessantes.
- Colloquially abbreviated to was: Hast du was gehört?
5. Nichts (Nothing)
Nichts is the negative counterpart of etwas: