01
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 ich
I
'ich' and 'man' can both be the subject in a sentence, but they do not mean the same person. You use 'ich' when the person speaking is talking about themself. You use 'man' for general statements, rules, or recommendations when no specific person is meant. Learners may confuse the words when talking about their own experiences that could also be true in general. If you really mean yourself, 'ich' fits. If it is about people in general, 'man' is more natural.
man
Bei Fieber sollte man viel trinken.
When you have a fever, you should drink plenty of fluids.
ich
Ich gehe heute früher zum Arzt.
I am going to the doctor earlier today.
In real life
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