Dutch has six handy words for people and things you do not name: _iemand_ (someone), _niemand_ (no one), _iedereen_ (everyone), _iets_ (something), _niets_ or _niks_ (nothing) and _alles_ (everything). As a subject, _iedereen_ and _alles_ take a singular verb, just like English everyone and everything: _Iedereen is er._ And after _iets_ or _niets_, an adjective usually gets an extra _-s_: _iets leuks_ means something nice.
The pattern
_Iemand_, _niemand_ and _iedereen_ are about people; _iets_, _niets_ and _alles_ are about things. As a subject, all six take a singular verb, and an adjective after _iets_ or _niets_ usually gets an extra _-s_.
- Grammar calls these indefinite pronouns: words that stand for a person or thing without saying exactly who or what.
- People: _iemand_ (someone, or anyone in a question), _niemand_ (no one, not anyone), _iedereen_ (everyone).
- Things: _iets_ (something, or anything in a question), _niets_ (nothing, not anything), _alles_ (everything).
- _Niks_ means the same as _niets_. It is everyday speech; in a formal email, write _niets_.
- The verb is singular, the form you use for one person or thing: _Iedereen is moe._ _Alles is klaar._
- English "not ... anything" and "not ... anyone" usually become one Dutch word, with no extra _niet_: _Ik heb niets gegeten_ (I haven't eaten anything), _Ik zie niemand_ (I don't see anyone). Spanish speakers, take care: _Ik zie niet niemand_ means something else, namely "it is not true that I see no one".
- _Iets_ or _niets_ plus adjective plus _-s_: _iets leuks_, _niets nieuws_. An adjective that already ends in _-s_ stays as it is: _iets fris_ (something fresh or refreshing). Informal _wat_ (something) works the same way: _wat lekkers_. More in [Iets leuks, niets nieuws](#/lesson/iets-leuks).
Examples
| Er staat iemand voor de deur. | Someone is standing at the door. |
|---|---|
| Heeft iemand mijn paraplu gezien? | Has anyone seen my umbrella? |
| Er zit niemand in de wachtkamer. | There is no one in the waiting room. |
| Wil je iets drinken? | Would you like something to drink? |
| Ik heb vandaag nog niets gegeten. | I haven't eaten anything yet today. |
| Fatima heeft niks gezegd. | Fatima didn't say anything. |
| Iedereen is welkom op mijn verjaardag. | Everyone is welcome at my birthday party. |
| Alles is zo duur in de supermarkt. | Everything is so expensive at the supermarket. |
| Daan heeft iets leuks voor Sanne gekocht. | Daan has bought something nice for Sanne. |
| De huisarts heeft niets ernstigs gevonden. | The GP didn't find anything serious. |
Why it works this way
Look inside the words and they explain themselves. _Iedereen_ is _ieder_ (every) plus _een_ (one): every single one. Like English everyone, it counts people one at a time, so the verb stays singular even when forty colleagues are at the Friday _borrel_ (drinks). _Alles_ packs everything into one big bundle, so it is singular too. If you really want a plural, use _allemaal_ (all of us, all of them): _We zijn er allemaal._
The _-s_ after _iets_ and _niets_ is left over from an old ending that meant roughly "of". _Iets leuks_ is a bit like "something of the nice kind". English has a similar idea in "something of interest"; Dutch just fits the "of" into one letter.
Remember: _iets_ and _niets_ end in _-s_, and they lend that _-s_ to the adjective after them, unless it already has one: _iets leuks_, _niets nieuws_, but _iets fris_.
Watch out
- Not: _Iedereen zijn er._ Say: _Iedereen is er._ (_iedereen_ means every single person, so the verb is singular)
- Not: _Ik heb iets leuk gekocht._ Say: _Ik heb iets leuks gekocht._ (an adjective after _iets_ gets _-s_)
- Not: _Ik heb gezien niemand._ Say: _Ik heb niemand gezien._ (the participle _gezien_ goes to the end, after _niemand_; see [The verb bracket](#/lesson/verb-bracket))
- Not: _Alle is goed._ Say: _Alles is goed._ (on its own it is _alles_; _alle_ needs a noun after it, as in _alle kinderen_)
Quick check
- Fill in the present tense of _zijn_: _Iedereen ... blij met het mooie weer._
- Fill in the right form of _lekker_: _Mei heeft iets ... gekookt._
- Choose: _Lotte heeft (alles / iedereen) uitgenodigd voor haar verjaardag._
- Remove one word so the sentence means "I don't know anyone in this street": _Ik ken niet niemand in deze straat._
Answers
- _is_ (_iedereen_ takes a singular verb)
- _lekkers_ (an adjective after _iets_ gets _-s_)
- _iedereen_ (you invite people, and _iedereen_ is about people)
- _Ik ken niemand in deze straat._ (remove _niet_: _niemand_ already means no one)
Use it today
Tonight, tell someone at home or at work about your day with _iets_ or _niets_ plus an adjective: _Ik heb vandaag iets leuks gedaan_ or _Ik heb vandaag niets bijzonders gedaan_. Then ask back: _En jij? Heb jij iets leuks gedaan?_