Modern German Grammar: A Practical Guide, Second Edition

In the accusative and dative man becomes einen and einem respectively:

Wenn man arbeitslos wird, trifft das einen hart.

If you become unemployed it affects you badly.

Ich kenne einen, der fährt schon seit seiner Kindheit nach Mallorca.

I know somebody who has been going (on holiday) to Mallorca since he

was a child.

Und das soll einem jemand glauben?

Is anybody supposed to believe that?

 See also 40.4a (p. 105).

Ich kenne einen, der fährt jeden Sommer nach Mallorca.

I know somebody who spends each summer holiday on Mallorca.

Und die Geschichte soll einem jemand glauben?

And somebody is supposed to believe this story?

31.5 jemand ‘someone’ and niemand ‘no one’ decline as follows:

 See also 42.3d (p. 113).

In spoken German the accusative and dative are frequently left uninflected, as jemand

and niemand:

Ich suche niemanden/niemand.

I’m not looking for anyone.

Sie spricht gerade mit jemandem/mit jemand am Telefon.

She’s speaking to someone on the phone at the moment.

In relative clauses jemand is construed as masculine, i.e. jemand, der... ‘someone

who.. .’. However, in feminist usage, jemand, die... is found (see 10 ).

32 Pronouns used after prepositions

The correct use of pronouns with prepositions depends on distinguishing between

people and things. Where the reference is to an inanimate object or a general state of

affairs, the form da(r) + preposition is used (see 38.2 and 50.6):

Referring to der Sohn ‘the son’:

Sein Vater hat einen großen Einfluss auf ihn gehabt.

His father had a great influence on him.

Referring to der Plan ‘the plan’:

Sein Vater hat einen großen Einfluss darauf gehabt.

His father had a great influence on it.

Nom. jemand niemand

Acc. jemanden niemanden

Dat. jemandem niemandem

Gen. jemandes niemandes

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PRONOUNS