German Grammar
German Indefinite Pronouns
Indefinite pronouns (Indefinitpronomen) refer to unspecified persons or things without identifying exactly who or what they are. German indefinite pronouns include jemand/niemand (someone/no one), etwas/nichts (something/nothing), man (one), and jeder/alle (everyone/all).
Examples:
- • Jemand hat angerufen. (Someone called.)
- • Man soll nicht lügen. (One should not lie.)
- • Ich habe etwas vergessen. (I forgot something.)
- • Alle sind gekommen. (Everyone came.)
Main Categories and Declension
German indefinite pronouns can be divided into two main categories: those referring to people and those referring to things. Many indefinite pronouns change their form based on case.
The pronouns jemand (someone) and niemand (no one) refer to unspecified persons and decline across cases:
| Case | jemand | niemand | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | jemand | niemand | Jemand klopft. (Someone is knocking.) |
| Accusative | jemanden | niemanden | Ich sehe niemanden. (I see no one.) |
| Dative | jemandem | niemandem | Er hilft jemandem. (He helps someone.) |
| Genitive | jemandes | niemandes | Das Auto jemandes (someone's car) |
Note: In informal speech, the endings are often dropped: Ich habe mit jemand gesprochen instead of mit jemandem.
The pronoun man (one/you) is used for general statements and has an irregular declension:
| Case | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | man | Man muss vorsichtig sein. (One must be careful.) |
| Accusative | einen | Das macht einen müde. (That makes one tired.) |
| Dative | einem | Das hilft einem nicht. (That doesn't help one.) |
| Genitive | — | not used |
The pronoun jeder/jede/jedes (each/every) declines like the definite article:
| Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | jeder | jede | jedes | alle |
| Accusative | jeden | jede | jedes | alle |
| Dative | jedem | jeder | jedem | allen |
| Genitive | jedes | jeder | jedes | aller |
→ Learn more about Definite Articles
Examples with jeder:
- • Jeder Student muss das wissen. (Every student must know that.)
- • Sie kennt jeden hier. (She knows everyone here.)
- • In jedem Haus wohnt jemand. (Someone lives in every house.)
Other Indefinite Pronouns
Here are some more indefinite pronouns. They decline with the same endings as above:
| Pronoun | Meaning | Verb Agreement | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| einige | some/several | plural | Einige kommen später. (Some are coming later.) |
| manche | some | plural | Manche mögen das nicht. (Some don't like that.) |
| mehrere | several | plural | Mehrere haben angerufen. (Several called.) |
| beide | both | plural | Beide sind hier. (Both are here.) |
Invariable Pronouns
Some indefinite pronouns referring to things do not change form regardless of case:
| Pronoun | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| etwas | something | Ich brauche etwas. (I need something.) |
| nichts | nothing | Er weiß nichts. (He knows nothing.) |
| alles | everything | Alles ist gut. (Everything is good.) |
| ein bisschen | a little | Ich spreche ein bisschen Deutsch. (I speak a little German.) |
| ein wenig | a little | Wir haben ein wenig Zeit. (We have a little time.) |
Special Features
The prefix irgend- can be added to emphasize the indefiniteness or randomness of the pronoun:
Irgend- compounds:
- • irgendjemand = somebody or other, anyone at all
- • irgendetwas = something or other, anything at all
- • irgendwer = somebody or other (colloquial for irgendjemand)
- • irgendwas = something or other (colloquial for irgendetwas)
The words ein- and kein- can function as pronouns when they replace a previously mentioned noun. They follow the same declension pattern as indefinite articles but with strong endings:
Ein-/Kein- as pronouns:
- • Hast du einen Stift? – Ja, ich habe einen. (Do you have a pen? – Yes, I have one.)
- • Ich suche ein Buch. – Hier ist eins. (I'm looking for a book. – Here is one.)
- • Haben Sie Fragen? – Nein, ich habe keine. (Do you have questions? – No, I have none.)
Verb Agreement
Indefinite pronouns require specific verb forms depending on whether they refer to singular or plural concepts:
These pronouns always use the verb in singular third person (like er/sie/es).
| Singular Verbs (3rd person) | Example |
|---|---|
| jemand, niemand | Jemand kommt. (Someone is coming.) |
| man | Man sagt das nicht. (One doesn't say that.) |
| etwas, nichts, alles | Nichts ist unmöglich. (Nothing is impossible.) |
| jeder/jede/jedes | Jeder weiß das. (Everyone knows that.) |
These verbs always use the plural third person (like the plural sie).
| Plural Verbs | Example |
|---|---|
| alle | Alle sind da. (Everyone is here.) |
| einige, manche | Einige kommen später. (Some are coming later.) |
| mehrere | Mehrere haben abgesagt. (Several have cancelled.) |
| beide | Beide wollen mitkommen. (Both want to come along.) |
Man vs Du/Sie
The pronoun man is used for general statements that apply to people in general, similar to English "one" or the general "you". Unlike du or Sie, which address specific people, man makes impersonal statements.
When to use man instead of du/Sie:
- • General rule: Man soll nicht rauchen. (One shouldn't smoke.)
- • Common knowledge: Man sagt, dass... (They say that...)
- • Instructions: Man nehme zwei Eier. (Take two eggs.)
- • NOT specific advice: Man sollte nicht rauchen. (One shouldn't smoke.) - to a specific person
Remember that man always uses the 3rd person singular verb form, just like er/sie/es:
Man with different verbs:
- • Man ist hier sehr freundlich. (People are very friendly here.)
- • Man kann das nicht wissen. (One cannot know that.)
- • Man muss pünktlich sein. (One must be punctual.)