Indefinite Pronouns: man, jemand, etwas, nichts
Indefinite pronouns let you talk about people or things without naming them specifically — a skill you'll need almost every time you speak German. man lets you make general statements like people say… or you have to…, while jemand and niemand refer to an unspecified someone or no one at all.
etwas (something) and nichts (nothing) round out this group. These four small words appear constantly in everyday German conversation, so mastering them early will make both your speaking and your listening far more natural.
man – Making General Statements
Use man to express what people in general do, what is customary, or what is permitted — similar to English one, you (general), or people/they. It is always the subject and always takes the 3rd person singular verb form (same as er/sie/es).
| Subject | Verb | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| man | sagt | one says / people say |
| man | kann | one can |
| man | muss | one must |
| man | darf | one is allowed to |
| man | lernt | one learns / people learn |
⚠️ Don't confuse man (pronoun, lowercase) with Mann (noun = man/husband, uppercase). They sound identical but mean completely different things.
jemand and niemand – Someone and No One
jemand means someone/somebody and niemand means no one/nobody. Both decline in the accusative and dative cases. The uninflected forms are also accepted in informal speech, but the declined forms are more correct.
| Case | jemand | niemand | When to use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | jemand | niemand | subject of the sentence |
| Accusative | jemanden | niemanden | direct object (after most verbs) |
| Dative | jemandem | niemandem | indirect object (after dative verbs) |
Examples by case:
- Jemand hat gerufen. → nominative (subject)
- Ich suche jemanden. → accusative (direct object of suchen)
- Ich habe niemandem geholfen. → dative (helfen takes dative)
etwas and nichts – Something and Nothing
etwas (something/anything) and nichts (nothing) are invariable — they never change their form, regardless of case or context. Use them freely as subject, direct object, or after prepositions.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| etwas | something / anything | Ich habe etwas gehört. (I heard something.) |
| nichts | nothing | Ich habe nichts gehört. (I heard nothing.) |
💡 To say something interesting or nothing special, add a capitalised adjective after the pronoun: etwas Interessantes / nichts Besonderes. The adjective takes the ending -es in this construction.
📖 Examples
Man lernt jeden Tag etwas Neues.
One learns something new every day.
Jemand hat an die Tür geklopft.
Someone knocked on the door.
Ich habe heute nichts gegessen.
I haven't eaten anything today.
In Deutschland trinkt man gern Kaffee.
In Germany, people like to drink coffee.
Hast du jemanden in der Stadt gesehen?
Did you see anyone in the city?
Es gibt hier nichts zu tun.
There is nothing to do here.
Kann man hier etwas kaufen?
Can one buy something here?
Ich kenne hier niemanden.
I don't know anyone here.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
Man lernen Deutsch in der Schule.Man lernt Deutsch in der Schule.
"man" always takes the 3rd person singular verb form — the same as "er/sie/es". Using the infinitive (lernen) is a common slip for English speakers who think of "man" as plural.
Ich suche jemand.Ich suche jemanden.
After verbs that take a direct object (like "suchen"), "jemand" must be in the accusative case: "jemanden". Using the bare nominative form as an object is incorrect.
Ich habe etwas nicht gesehen.Ich habe nichts gesehen.
In German, you don't combine "etwas" with negation to mean "nothing". Use "nichts" on its own instead. Mixing "etwas" + "nicht" in this way doesn't work.
Ein Mann muss das bezahlen. (meaning: one/people have to pay)Man muss das bezahlen.
"Mann" (capital M, double n) means a male person. Use "man" (lowercase, single n) for the impersonal/general meaning of "one" or "people". These two words are homophones but not interchangeable.
✏️ Exercises
Test your understanding. Click an option or type your answer, then check.
Which verb form is correct? "Man ___ jeden Tag Deutsch."
What is the accusative form of "jemand"?
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
Which word means "nothing" in German?
Which sentence uses "etwas" correctly?
Choose the correct form to complete: "Ich habe ___ geholfen." (no one)
___ hat angerufen, aber ich war nicht zu Hause. (jemand)
In Deutschland trinkt ___ gern Kaffee. (man)
Ich habe heute ___ gegessen. (nichts)
Kennst du hier ___? (jemand – Akkusativ)