niemand

Definition & meaning

Niemand means “nobody” or “no one.” It refers to not a single person.

• Niemand ist zu Hause. — “Nobody is at home.”
• Ich kenne niemanden. — “I don’t know anyone.”

Grammar & Word origin

Niemand is an indefinite pronoun and is usually treated as singular. It can take case endings: niemanden in the accusative, niemandem in the dative, and niemandes in the genitive. In some contexts, the uninflected form is also used where an ending might be expected.

The word historically combines the negative element ni- with jemand ↗, meaning “someone” or “anyone.”

Synonyms & antonyms

• keiner ↗ — “nobody” or “none”; often used when the people in question are understood from context.
• kein Mensch ↗ — literally “not a person”; a more emphatic or colloquial way to say “nobody.”
• jemand ↗ — “someone” or “anyone”; the opposite of niemand.

Common phrases & collocations

• niemandem etwas sagen — to tell nobody something.
• niemand zu Hause — nobody at home.
• niemand anders — nobody else.