Indefinite pronouns (Indefinitpronomen) in German, such as jeder, alle, sämtliche, manche, einige, wenige, viele, beide, man, jemand, niemand, etwas, and nichts, play a key role in enriching speech. They allow the speaker to express quantity, indefiniteness, or quality and are used to replace a noun or function as adjectives. In this article, we’ll explore how and when to use each of these pronouns so that you can express your thoughts clearly and correctly in German, improving both your speaking and writing skills. This understanding is essential for every learner of German, regardless of their level.
There are several indefinite pronouns that are most common in spoken language. Animate indefinite pronouns: man,jemand – someone,niemand – no one, Inanimate indefinite pronouns: etwas – something,nichts – nothing.
The indefinite pronoun man is declined as einen in the accusative, einem in the dative.
Let’s look at some examples:
Man darf hier nicht rauchen, aber ich habe einen gesehen, der trotzdem rauchte. – You are not allowed to smoke here, but I still saw someone who was smoking anyway.
Ich habe keine Eier mehr, kannst du mir welche leihen? – I’m out of eggs, can you lend me some?
Leider habe ich selbst keine. – Unfortunately, I don’t have any myself.
The pronouns jemand (someone) and etwas (something) refer to an indefinite person or object in the singular, do not have plural forms, and can substitute a noun in a sentence. Etwas is not declined, while jemand is declined like an indefinite article. In the plural, alle or sämtliche (all) is used.
Rauchen ist hier verboten, aber ich habe trotzdem jemanden rauchen sehen. – Smoking is prohibited here, but I still saw someone smoking.
Bring etwas zum Abendessen mit, denn ich habe nichts im Kühlschrank. – Bring something for dinner, because I have nothing in the fridge.
Siehst du jemanden? – Do you see someone?
Etwas stimmt nicht. – Something is wrong.
This group of pronouns also includes jeder, jede, jedes (each, every) in the singular, as well as alle (all), einige (some), viele (many), beide (both), and wenige (few) in the plural. These pronouns are declined like definite articles and can be used either instead of an article or instead of a noun.
Bei dieser Diskussion kann jeder Mensch teilnehmen. – Every person can take part in this discussion.
Bei dieser Diskussion kann jeder teilnehmen. – Everyone can take part in this discussion.
Below you’ll find the most complete list of indefinite pronouns in German:
Indefinite pronouns in German play an important role in enriching speech, allowing the speaker to express uncertainty, quantity, and generality without naming specific people or objects. Using them correctly helps to achieve clearer and more effective communication.
You can also follow the links below to explore other groups of pronouns in German – personal, possessive, interrogative, demonstrative.
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days
hours
min
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Price €146.67
Language Deutsch, B1.2
Start July 3, 2025
Course Leichter Kurs B1.2
Group #99
