Man refers to people in general or an unspecified person, while its verb is always third-person singular.
The idea
Man itself is a nominative form. Use einen in the accusative and einem in the dative when the same general meaning is needed in those roles. Do not confuse man with the noun Mann.
| Form / Muster | Beispiel / Gegensatz |
|---|---|
| Nominativ | man |
| Verb | 3. Person Singular |
| Akkusativ | einen |
| Dativ | einem |
| nicht dasselbe | man ≠ der Mann |
Examples
- Hier spricht man Deutsch.
- Man darf hier nicht rauchen.
- Wie bezahlt man hier?
- Im Winter braucht man eine Jacke.
- Das kann einem passieren.
- Der Lärm macht einen müde.
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Watch out
Man takes a singular verb and is a subject form. For other roles, use einen or einem: So etwas kann einem passieren. The noun Mann means a man and is spelled differently.
Try it yourself
Hier ___ man mit Karte. (bezahlt / bezahlen)
Show answer or example answer
bezahlt
Answer: “bezahlt”. The verb agrees with its grammatical subject, not with a nearby object or dative person.
Man ___ hier warten. (muss / müssen)
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muss
Answer: “muss”. The verb agrees with its grammatical subject, not with a nearby object or dative person.
So etwas kann ___ passieren. (man / einem)
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einem
Answer: “einem”. This complement is dative; its article, pronoun or adjective must show that case.
Practice round
Answer three questions, then rebuild three German sentences. We keep your score.
Hier ___ man mit Karte. (bezahlt / bezahlen)
Man ___ hier warten. (muss / müssen)
So etwas kann ___ passieren. (man / einem)
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
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Write a two-line conversation around “Hier spricht man Deutsch.”. Use the target expression in your reply and make its intended meaning clear.