The German Pronoun MAN: Rules and Examples

"Wie sagt man das auf Deutsch?" That one question already contains the word of this lesson: man. The German indefinite pronoun man is one of the most useful words at A1 and it makes you sound much more natural. In this lesson you learn what it means, why it is not the same as du, how to conjugate the verb, and the three situations where you need it most.

What Does "man" Mean?

In English there are many options: people, they, you, or "one". "One" is probably the most accurate translation, but in English it only sounds right in very formal situations. The German man works in any situation: formal, informal and in daily life. Germans use it all the time.

Common Misunderstandings

1. man is not the same as du. They are two different pronouns used in different situations.
2. man is not the same as Mann. They sound the same, but Mann with a capital letter and two n is the male human being (der Mann).
3. The verb is always singular. Never use the plural conjugation with man.

How to Conjugate Verbs with man

Take the regular verb machen in the singular: ich mache, du machst, er / sie / es macht. man takes exactly the same form as the third person singular: man macht.

Why? man is a subject, and the subject is always in the Nominativ. The verb always agrees with the subject, so whenever you see man, use the third person singular.

Situation 1: General Habits

Here man is usually translated as "people". It describes something that most people do.

• Im April braucht man oft einen Regenschirm. In April you often need an umbrella. (There is a German saying: Der April macht, was er will. The weather is unpredictable.)
• In Berlin spricht man kaum Deutsch. In Berlin people hardly speak any German. This is of course an exaggeration, but in big international cities you can easily get by with English. To improve your German faster, a small town or village can be a better choice.
• Im Winter bleibt man oft zu Hause. In winter people often stay at home.
• In Deutschland isst man viel Brot. In Germany people eat a lot of bread.
• In der Schweiz isst man viel Käse. In Switzerland people eat a lot of cheese.

Hausaufgaben: Was isst oder trinkt man in deinem Heimatland? Write a comment about what people eat or drink in your home country. Heimatland means home country.

Situation 2: Rules and Restrictions

• Im Museum muss man leise sein. You have to be quiet in the museum.
• Hier darf man nicht parken. You cannot park here.
• Kann man hier mit Karte bezahlen? Can you pay by card here? A very useful question in Germany, because many places still only take cash.
• Wo darf man hier rauchen? Where is smoking allowed here?

Each sentence has two verbs, because rules usually use a modal verb: most commonly dürfen, können or müssen. You do not want to address one person, you want to keep it general, and man does exactly that. In these sentences man is mostly translated as "you".

Situation 3: Instructions

• Wie sagt man das auf Deutsch? How do you say that in German?
• Wie schreibt man das? How do you spell that?
• Für diesen Kuchen braucht man drei Eier. For this cake you need three eggs.
• Wie macht man diese Suppe? How do you make this soup? The answer is often with man again, for example: first you boil the water for ten minutes.
• Nomen schreibt man im Deutschen groß. You capitalise nouns in German.

You see this in recipes and manuals. man is translated as "you" because it speaks directly to the reader, but it stays general and includes everyone.

Longer Examples

• Je früher man das Ticket bucht, desto weniger bezahlt man. The earlier you book the ticket, the less you pay.
• Je mehr man Deutsch spricht, desto besser wird man. The more you speak German, the better you get.
• Wenn man krank ist, bleibt man im Bett. When you are sick, you stay in bed.
• Es ist höflich, dass man Bitte und Danke sagt. It is polite to say please and thank you.

The je ... desto sentence is not A1 but late A2 or B1. It is included to show you a common mistake: many learners write Je früher man das Ticket bucht, desto weniger bezahlst du. That is a direct translation from English and it is wrong in German. If the first part of the sentence uses man, the second part needs man too, not another pronoun.

Bonus Tip: Sentence Structure with man

At A1 you learn the basic order subject, verb, object. With man, sentences often start with something else: a time or place expression.

• Im April braucht man oft einen Regenschirm.
• Im Winter bleibt man oft zu Hause.
• In Berlin spricht man kaum Deutsch.
• In Deutschland isst man viel Brot.

Starting with this information puts the emphasis on it, and that is the important part of the message. man itself ("everyone") is not important. You can also start with man: Man braucht im April oft einen Regenschirm. Both versions are correct, but the version with man after the verb is more common and sounds more natural.

What to Learn Next

man is only one of the German indefinite pronouns. The full topic is B2 level and has a two-part series: Indefinitpronomen Teil 1 and German Indefinite Pronouns: The Ultimate Guide. For the modal verbs used in Situation 2, see All German Modal Verbs: The Complete Guide. To practise the sentence pattern from the longer examples, read How to use the conjunction je...desto.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does man mean in German?

Man is an indefinite pronoun for people in general. Depending on the situation it is translated as people, you, they or one.

Is man the same as du?

No. Du speaks to one specific person. Man talks about people in general, so it keeps the sentence general and includes everyone.

How do I conjugate verbs with man?

Always use the third person singular, the same form as er, sie and es. For example: man macht, man spricht, man isst.

What is the difference between man and Mann?

Man with one n is the pronoun. Der Mann with a capital M and two n is the male human being. They sound the same.

When do I use man?

Mainly for general habits (In Deutschland isst man viel Brot), rules and restrictions (Hier darf man nicht parken) and instructions (Wie sagt man das auf Deutsch?).

Want to build a solid A1 foundation? Our A1 German online course teaches you the key patterns for everyday German, step by step.