Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns (Indefinitpronomen) are used to refer to non-specific people, things, or amounts.

Example:

Hat jemand mein Buch gesehen? (Has someone seen my book?) - indefinite pronoun referring to an unspecified person

Ich brauche etwas zu essen. (I need something to eat.) - indefinite pronoun referring to an unspecified thing

Common Indefinite Pronouns

Here are the main indefinite pronouns in German:

Pronoun	Usage	English Equivalent
jemand	some person	someone, somebody
etwas / was	some thing	something
alle	all people / things	everyone, all
alles	all things (collective)	everything
einige	some people / things	some, several
manche	some people / things	some, several
jeder / jede / jedes	each person / thing	each one, everyone
beide	both	both
viele	many	many
wenige	few	few

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Among the pronouns listed, alle, einige, manche, viele, and wenige exist only in the plural form.

On the other hand, jede and jemand does not have a plural form.

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Both einige and manche are that can be translated as “some” or “a few” - however the subtle difference is that manche implies a subset of a larger group.

Einige Studenten waren bei der Prüfung erfolgreich. (Some students were successful in the exam)

Manche Leute essen gern Blumenkohl. (Some people like to eat cauliflower.) - implies a contrast, that some people like it, while others don't.

Example:

Ich habe jemanden in der Stadt getroffen. (I met someone in the city.)

Hast du etwas gefunden? (Did you find something?)

Von allen wurde er am meisten respektiert. (He was respected the most by everyone.)

Declension of Indefinite Pronouns

Some indefinite pronouns are declined according to case, gender, and number. Here's how jeder is declined:

ㅤ	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	jeder	jede	jedes
Accusative	jeden	jede	jedes
Dative	jedem	jeder	jedem
Genitive	jedes	jeder	jedes

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Note that etwas is not declined and remains the same in all cases.

Jemand can be declined but often remains unchanged in modern German, similar to niemand.

When jemand is declined, it follows this pattern (both forms are acceptable):

ㅤ	Traditional Form	Modern Usage
Nominative	jemand	jemand
Accusative	jemanden	jemand
Dative	jemandem	jemand
Genitive	jemandes	jemands

Nominative Case

In unserem Team hat jeder eine wichtige Rolle. (Everyone in our team has an important role.)

Bei der Versammlung war jemand anwesend, den ich kannte. (Someone I knew was present at the meeting.)

Accusative Case

Ich kenne manchen guten Schauspieler. (I know some good actors.)

Ich sehe alle im Klassenzimmer. (I see everyone in the classroom.)

Dative Case

Mit jedem Schritt wird es einfacher. (With each step it becomes easier.)

Er hat jemandem ein Geschenk gegeben. (He gave a gift to someone.)

Genitive Case

Die Meinung jedes Teilnehmers ist wichtig. (The opinion of each participant is important.)

Das ist das Auto jemandes, den ich kenne. (That's the car of someone I know.)

Special Compounds with Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns with prefixes like irgend- (meaning “any”, “some”, or “whatever”). These compounds create more vague or imprecise references.

Ich habe irgendetwas gehört. (I heard something.)

Irgendwer hat an der Tür geklopft. (Someone knocked at the door.)