| 12.8 Declination of niemand |
Niemand can be translated with nobody or no one. It is used only in singular, which is quite logical if there is nobody - no single person - how should there be a more than one of them. Further it is to be remarked that niemand can only be used substantival (= as a noun). Niemand is also independent of gender, which makes life easier, and again the logic really strikes - if there is nobody how can there be any importance of the gender of this not-existing person.
| declination |
| Nominative | niemand | |
| Genititv | niemandes (hardly ever used) | |
| Dative | niemandem | |
| Akkusativ | niemanden |
| Examples: |
| Nominative:
Genitive: Dative: Accusative : |
Niemand
weiß es. = Nobody
knows it. Das ist niemandes Angelegenheit. = That's nobody's business. Ich leihe niemandem Geld. = I do not lend money to anyone. Ich sehe niemanden. = I do not see anybody. |
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Nowadays the use of niemand changes a lot. The Genitive is already very scarcely used. And also the Accusative and the Dative are used less and less. Instead of the declination more and more the infinitive form niemand is used. Even the Duden - die German "bible" of correct writing - accepts the following substitutions.
use of Nominative (basic form) instead of Dative and Akkusativ |
| Ich
sehe niemanden. Ich sehe niemand. Ich gebe niemandem Geld. Ich gebe niemand Geld. |
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