誰も…ない
dare-mo…nai
In Japanese, 'no one' is expressed as 誰も…ない (dare-mo…nai).
The phrase is used to indicate that not even a single person is present or performing an action.
Meaning: not even a single person (pron)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase contains the particle も (mo), which means 'even' or 'also'. When paired with a question word, it creates a negative polarity item to mean 'not even'.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the meaning of 'no one', the phrase 誰も…ない must be paired with a verb in its negative form.
How do you pronounce it?
dare-mo…nai
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using an affirmative verb with 誰も…ない. While English speakers might be tempted to use an affirmative verb, you must use a negative verb to successfully convey that 'no one' exists or acts.
Did you know?
- Japanese has a distinct word for 'no one' when referring to a 'nobody' in the sense of an insignificant or unimportant person, which is 名もなき者 (na mo naki mono), literally 'a person without a name'.
- If you want to say 'anyone' in an affirmative sense, such as 'anyone can do it', you use 誰でも (dare-demo) instead of 誰も (dare-mo). Changing one syllable shifts the meaning from 'no one' to 'everyone'.
- In casual speech, the final negative verb ない (nai) is often dropped entirely. If the context is clear, a speaker might just say 誰も (dare-mo) with a falling intonation to imply 'no one'.
Examples in context
- 会議には誰もいません。(Kaigi ni wa dare mo imasen.)No one is in the meeting.
- 誰もいませんでした。(Dare mo imasen deshita.)There was no one.
- この部屋にはだれもいないと思います。(Kono heya ni wa dare mo inai to omoimasu.)I think no one is in this room.
- コンビニには誰もいねえのかな。(Konbini ni wa dare mo inee no kana.)I wonder if no one is at the convenience store.
- あのイベントには誰もいねぇみたいだよ。(Ano ibento ni wa dare mo inee mitai da yo.)It seems like no one is at that event.
- ここには誰もいねぇと思うけど。(Koko ni wa dare mo inee to omou kedo.)I don't think anyone is here.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “no one” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
