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Indefinite pronoun 'alles' (everything)

Indefinitpronomen 'alles'

'alles' (everything) refers to the whole / all of it.

Structure

alles (+ Verb) - die Gesamtheit

alles (+ verb) - the totality

Details

Part of Speech
Pronoun
Word Type
Indefinite pronoun
Register
Standard

Explanation

What it is. alles means everything and refers to the whole, the totality of things.

How it is used. alles takes a singular verb even though it covers many things: Alles ist gut (everything is fine). It is mostly invariable in everyday A2 use and works as or . Be careful to distinguish it from the alle (all the people / all the things), which takes a : Alle sind da (everyone is here).

Examples.

  • Ich verstehe alles. - I understand everything.
  • Alles ist gut. - Everything is fine.
  • Sie hat mir alles erzählt. - She told me everything.

Common mistakes. Use a with alles: Alles ist fertig, not Alles sind fertig. Do not mix up alles (everything, ) with alle (everyone/all, ).

About Indefinite pronoun 'alles' (everything)

'alles' (everything) refers to the whole / all of it.

Refers to the whole; takes a (Alles ist gut).

'alles' bezeichnet die Gesamtheit.

Caution

'alles' takes a singular verb: 'Alles ist gut'. Don't confuse it with the plural 'alle' (all the people/things).