How to Say "No One Else" in German

niemand sonst

/ˈniːmant zɔnst/word by word

The English phrase "no one else" is translated into German as niemand sonst.

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase is composed of niemand (no one) and sonst (else/otherwise).

Which one should you use?

While niemand sonst means "no one else", the phrase kein anderer is often used when referring to "no other person" in a more specific or comparative sense.

How does it change in a sentence?

The word niemand is treated as a singular pronoun and requires singular verb conjugation.

Did you know?

The word niemand originates from a combination of 'never' and 'man'.
While niemand sonst is grammatically correct, it can sometimes sound more dramatic or literary than the everyday keiner sonst.
In some German dialects, particularly in the south, sonst can be replaced by suscht in casual speech.

Examples in context

Niemand sonst weiß es.
No one else knows it.
Tatoeba #2101917 by Tamy, translation #2091136 by CK
Niemand sonst hat gelacht.
No one else laughed.
Tatoeba #6611430 by Felixjp, translation #2091125 by CK
Niemand sonst würde uns helfen.
No one else would help us.
Tatoeba #5244050 by faehrmann, translation #10209530 by sundown
Es gibt keinen anderen, der diese Aufgabe erledigen könnte.
There is no one else who could do this task.
Keine andere Person hat das Recht, das zu tun.
No one else has the right to do that.
Niemand anders kann diese Entscheidung treffen.
No one else can make this decision.
Er kommt heute Abend nicht, und niemand anders kann ihn vertreten.
He's not coming tonight, and no one else can represent him.
Das war niemand anderes als ich.
That was no one else but me.
Es kann keiner sonst so gut tanzen wie du.
No one else can dance as well as you.
11 more sentences on Tatoeba

Example conversation

Julian and Hannah are discussing a quiet meeting in a cafe.

Julian

War im Café niemand sonst?
Was there no one else in the cafe?
Hannah

Nein, es war wirklich niemand sonst da.
No, there was really no one else there.
Julian

Das ist sehr seltsam.
That is very strange.
Hannah

Vielleicht war es einfach sehr spät.
Maybe it was just very late.

Sources

IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (niemand, sonst) and can differ in connected speech.
Word origins: Wiktionary entries niemand, sonst, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.

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How to Say “No One Else” in German