How to Use 'man', 'jemand' and 'niemand' Correctly in German?
If you learn German, you will often see the words man, jemand, and niemand. They are very common in spoken and written German, but they work differently from English
Recommended study materials on the topic:
A-Grammar: Practice German grammar German (incl. answers)
German self-study book for A1-B1 (incl. answers)
German Verb Charts: Learning Regular and Irregular Verbs at a glance
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In this article, you will learn:
the meaning of man, jemand, and niemand
how they change in Nominative, Accusative, and Dative
how to use them correctly in everyday German
This guide clearly explains how to use man in German, jemand meaning, and niemand meaning.
What do “man”, “jemand” and “niemand” mean?
All three words are pronouns, to be more specific Indefinite pronouns. They replace a person or people in a sentence when the person is not specific.
Quick overview:
man = people in general / one
jemand = someone
niemand = no one
1. How to use man in German
Meaning of man
Man is used in German when you talk about people in general, not a specific person.
In English, it often means:
you (general)
people
one
Example:
In Deutschland trinkt man viel Kaffee.
(In Germany, people drink a lot of coffee.)
“Man” and grammatical cases
👉 Important:
In Nominative Case we use man.
However, when man refers to a person in Accusative or Dative, German uses the following forms:
Accusative: einen (like in wen / den)
Dative: einem (like in wem / dem)
| Case | Form used | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | man |
Man sagt das oft. (People say this often.) |
| Accusative | einen |
Das kann einen nervös machen. (That can make you nervous.) |
| Dative | einem |
Das passiert einem schnell. (That happens to you quickly.) |
Why this is important for learners
Many learners think man disappears in Accusative and Dative.
In reality, German replaces it with einen or einem.
This is very common in spoken German and extremely important for natural sentences.
2. How to use jemand in German
Meaning of jemand
Jemand means someone.
You use it when:
the person is unknown
naming the person is not important
you do not want to name the person
Example:
Jemand hat angerufen.
(Someone called.)
“Jemand” and grammatical cases
Jemand in German also follows the cases. Though it does excist in Genitive in contrast to “man”, Germans barely use it in Genitive and would probably also use the “von” + “Dative” construction here instead.
| Case | Form used | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | jemand |
Jemand wartet draußen. (Someone is waiting outside.) |
| Accusative | jemanden |
Ich sehe jemanden. (I see someone.) |
| Dative | jemandem |
Ich helfe jemandem. (I help someone.) |
| Genitive | jemandes |
Das ist jemandes Jacke. (That is someone’s jacket.) |
3. How to use niemand in German
Meaning of niemand
Niemand in German means no one or nobody.
It is a negative pronoun.
Example:
Niemand ist zu Hause.
(No one is at home.)
“Niemand” and grammatical cases
Niemand in German also follows the cases. Like jemand, it exists in Genitive, in contrast to man. However, Germans rarely use niemand in Genitive in everyday language. In real conversations, speakers usually prefer the von + Dative construction instead.
| Case | Form used | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | niemand |
Niemand wartet draußen. (No one is waiting outside.) |
| Accusative | niemanden |
Ich sehe niemanden. (I see no one.) |
| Dative | niemandem |
Ich helfe niemandem. (I help no one.) |
| Genitive | niemandes |
Das ist niemandes Schuld. (That is nobody’s fault.) |
Conclusion
Understanding how man, jemand, and niemand change across the cases helps you form natural, correct German sentences, and you should not miss our article What is the difference between man & Mann in German?
Bis bald!
Steffie
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Learn how to use man, jemand, and niemand correctly in German, including cases, examples, and common mistakes learners make.