Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

In deze les leer je over onbepaalde voornaamwoorden in het Nederlands, zoals 'iemand', 'niemand', 'iets' en 'niets'. Deze woorden gebruik je om personen of zaken aan te duiden zonder precies te zeggen wie of wat. Daarnaast komen bijvoeglijke onbepaalde voornaamwoorden aan bod, bijvoorbeeld 'al' en 'alle', die je gebruikt om een onbepaald geheel aan te geven, zoals in 'Al haar boeken' en 'Alle dieren'. Je ontdekt ook het gebruik van 'men', dat alleen als onderwerp wordt gebruikt en altijd in het enkelvoud staat. Praktische zinnen zoals 'Niemand zag de olifant' en 'Is er iemand die de leeuw wil voeren?' helpen je om deze voornaamwoorden goed toe te passen. Door deze les leer je hoe je onbepaalde voornaamwoorden correct inzet om situaties of personen op een natuurlijke manier te beschrijven, wat je taalgebruik duidelijker en vloeiender maakt.
  1. The indefinite pronoun al is used with an indefinite whole.
  2. Iemand and niemand refer to persons
  3. 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.)
menMen zegt dat de olifanten slim zijn. (One says that the elephants are clever.)

Exceptions!

  1. Men is only used as a subject, and always in the singular.
  2. Alle is used with plural nouns.

Exercise 1: Onbepaalde voornaamwoorden (zoals iemand, niemand, alles)

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

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 'haar'.
Use 'Al' here, not 'Alle'; 'Alle' is wrong in combination with 'haar'.
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 in plural lists; here 'die' must be used for the correct form.
'Dit' and 'dat' are attributive pronouns and cannot be used independently here without a noun.

Indefinite Pronouns in Dutch: An Overview

This lesson focuses on Dutch indefinite pronouns, known as onbepaalde voornaamwoorden. These pronouns refer to persons or things in an unspecific way, such as iemand (someone), niemand (no one), and alles (everything). Understanding these is essential for everyday conversations, reading comprehension, and expressing general ideas without specifying exact details.

Types and Usage of Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns in Dutch can be used as adjectives or as independent nouns. For example:

  • Al / Alle (Adjective use) - Al haar boeken liggen op tafel. (All her books are on the table.)
  • Iedereen, Iemand, Niemand, Iets, Niets, Men (Independent pronouns) - Iedereen was bang van de tijger. (Everyone was afraid of the tiger.)

Important Pronouns Explained

  • Al and Alle: Used with totality. Al refers to an indefinite whole, often with singular or possessive contexts, as in Al haar boeken. Alle is used with plural nouns, e.g., Alle dieren zijn gevoerd.
  • Iedereen: Refers to every person, equivalent to “everyone.”
  • Iemand: Meaning “someone,” referring to an unspecified person.
  • Niemand: Means “no one” or “nobody.”
  • Iets and Niets: Refer to things, animals, or non-persons, meaning “something” and “nothing” respectively.
  • Men: Used exclusively as a subject, always singular, equivalent to the English impersonal “one” or “people” in general.

Key Points to Remember

  • Use Al with singular or possessive forms conveying a whole, and Alle with plural nouns.
  • Men is never plural and only functions as a subject pronoun.
  • Iemand and Niemand always refer to people, never to things.
  • Iets and Niets refer to objects, animals, or abstract things.

Cultural and Language Comparison

Unlike English, Dutch uses men as a formal, singular indefinite pronoun meaning “one” or “people in general,” whereas English might use “you,” “one,” or “they” depending on the context. The Dutch pronouns iemand and niemand strictly refer to persons, while iets and niets cover non-person entities. This clear distinction is sometimes more implicit in English.
Useful phrases to remember include:

  • Iedereen is hier. – Everyone is here.
  • Niemand weet het. – No one knows it.
  • Iets klopt niet. – Something is wrong.
  • Men zegt dat... – It is said that...

Written by

This content has been designed and reviewed by the coLanguage pedagogical team: About coLanguage

Profile Picture

Kato De Paepe

Business and languages

KdG University of Applied Sciences and Arts Antwerp

University_Logo

Last Updated:

Thursday, 17/07/2025 15:59