man
one / you
Indefinite pronoun that refers to one or more unspecified people. It is used for general statements, rules, or recommendations.
EXAMPLE
In dieser Bibliothek muss man leise sein.
In this library, you have to be quiet.
man
one / you
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Meanings
Usage tips
False friend
'Man' looks like the English word 'man', but it has a different meaning. It is an impersonal, gender-neutral pronoun corresponding to 'one', 'you', or 'they' in general statements.
EXAMPLE
In Deutschland trinkt man gerne Bier.
In Germany, people like to drink beer.
Verb in the 3rd person singular
The verb that follows 'man' is always conjugated in the 3rd person singular, just like with 'er', 'sie', or 'es' (he, she, or it).
EXAMPLE
Hier darf man nicht rauchen.
You are not allowed to smoke here.
Forms in accusative and dative
The pronoun 'man' exists only in the nominative. If you need an accusative or dative form, you use 'einen' (accusative) or 'einem' (dative).
EXAMPLE
Die laute Musik kann einen wirklich stören.
The loud music can really bother you.
Compare with
man vs du
you
Du addresses a person directly and informally, even when the recommendation is generally useful. Man, by contrast, does not name a specific person being addressed and presents the recommendation as a general rule. Choose du for addressing readers personally and man for an impersonal formulation.
man
Bei starkem Regen sollte man langsamer fahren.
One should drive more slowly in heavy rain.
du
Bei starkem Regen solltest du langsamer fahren.
You should drive more slowly in heavy rain.
In real life
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