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     Table of Contents Chapter 12 12.6 Keiner as adjectival & substantival pronoun
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Chapter 12: Negation in German

  12.6 Keiner as adjectival & substantival pronoun


As we have seen in the different declination kein can be used with or without a noun, that means that it can be used as adjectival (with noun) and as substantival (without noun) pronoun. The word kein changes marginally in masculine and neutral form.

  Examples:
Kein Mann sieht Fußball. = No man watches soccer.
Keiner sieht Fußball. = No one / nobody watches soccer.

Ich sehe keinen Mann. = I do not see a man.
Ich sehe keinen. = I do not see anyone / anybody. (thinking still of a masculine noun)

Ich schenke es keinem Mann. = I do not give it to a man.
Ich schenke es keinem. = I do not give it anyone / anybody.





Actually it works the same with feminine nouns:

  Examples:
Keine Frau sieht rote Elefanten. = No woman sees red elephants.
Keine sieht rote Elefanten. = No one / nobody sees red elephant (no feminine person)

Ich sehe
keine Frau. = I do not see a woman.
Ich sehe keine. = I do not see anyone / anybody. (thinking still of a feminine noun)

Ich schenke es keiner Frau. = I do not give it to a woman.
Ich schenke es keiner. = I do not give it anyone / anybody. (still having the feminine in mind)




and as well with neutral ones.

  Examples:
Kein Kind kauf rote Elefanten. = No child buys red elephants.
Keines kauft rote Elefanten. = No one / Nobody buys red elephants.

Er sieht
kein Kind. = He does not see a child.
Er sieht keines. = He does not see anyone / anybody. (thinking still of a neutral noun)

Er schenkt es keinem child. = He does not give it to a child..
Er schenkt es keinem. = He does not give it anyone / anybody. (still having the neutral in mind)

 


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