Learn how to use Dutch indefinite pronouns like "iemand" (someone), "niemand" (no one), "iets" (something), and "niets" (nothing) to refer to people and things without specifics.
- The indefinite pronoun al is used with an indefinite whole.
- Iemand and niemand refer to persons
- Iets and niets refer to things or animals.
| Gebruik (Use) | Voornaamwoord (Pronoun) | Voorbeeldzin (Example sentence) |
|---|---|---|
| Bijvoeglijk (Attributive) | al/alle (all) | Al haar boeken liggen op tafel. (All her books are on the table.) Alle dieren zijn gevoerd. (All animals have been fed.) |
| Zelfstandig (Independently) | iedereen (everyone) | Iedereen was bang van de tijger. (Everyone was afraid of the tiger.) |
| iemand (someone) | Is er iemand die de leeuw wil voeren? (Is there someone who wants to feed the lion?) | |
| niemand (nobody) | Niemand zag de olifant. (Nobody saw the elephant.) | |
| iets (something) | Hij hoorde iets in de jungle. (He heard something in the jungle.) | |
| niets (nothing) | We zagen niets in de woestijn door al het zand. (We saw nothing in the desert because of all the sand.) | |
| men | Men zegt dat de olifanten slim zijn. (One says that the elephants are clever.) |
Exceptions!
- Men is only used as a subject, and always in the singular.
- Alle is used with plural nouns.
Exercise 1: Onbepaalde voornaamwoorden (zoals iemand, niemand, alles)
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
iemand, Iedereen, niets, Men, Alle, iets
1.
Er beweegt ... in de verte in de woestijn.
(Something is moving in the distance in the desert.)
2.
... wilde met de olifanten mee.
(Everyone wanted to go with the elephants.)
3.
... dieren in de jungle zijn wild en snel.
(All animals in the jungle are wild and fast.)
4.
Ze zei dat ze ... had gezien.
(She said that she had seen nothing.)
5.
Er stond ... bij het hek van de giraffen.
(There was someone by the giraffes' gate.)
6.
... zegt dat de leeuw 's nachts actief is.
(It is said that the lion is active at night.)
Exercise 2: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct sentence in which the indefinite pronoun is used correctly.
1.
'Niemand' is not conjugated with '-en'; this is an incorrect form.
The ending '-e' does not belong to indefinite pronouns like 'niemand' and is incorrect.
2.
'Alle' is used with plural nouns, but not directly together with a possessive pronoun like 'her'.
Use 'Al' here, not 'Alle'; 'Alle' is incorrect in combination with 'her'.
3.
'Niets' means 'nothing'; together with 'ran' this sentence is illogical, because 'nothing' cannot run.
'Iemand' refers to a person and is inappropriate here if something non-personal is meant.
4.
'Dat' does not belong with plural enumerations; here 'die' should be used for the correct form.
'Dit' and 'dat' are adjectival pronouns and cannot be used independently here without a noun.
