Hayford Amedji-dela Anyidoho

German is known for its precise and versatile grammatical structures, and the words “alles,” “allem,” “alle,” and “allen” are no exception. At first glance, these forms may look similar, but they have different meanings and uses in a sentence. In this article, we will explain the differences between these words with examples to illustrate their usage.

1. Alles (Neuter Singular, Nominative/Accusative)
“Alles” is an indefinite pronoun meaning “everything” in the sense of the entirety of things or situations. It is typically used in the neuter singular and appears in either the nominative or accusative case.

Examples:
Nominative:
“Alles ist gut.”
(Everything is fine.)

Accusative:
“Ich habe alles verstanden.”
(I understood everything.)
Key point: “Alles” refers to an indefinite totality of things or abstract concepts that are not specifically mentioned.
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2. Allem (Neuter Singular, Dative)
“Allem” is the dative form of “alles” and is used when referring to the totality of things or situations in the dative case. It is often used after prepositions that require the dative.

Examples:
“Nach allem, was passiert ist, sollten wir vorsichtig sein.”
(After everything that has happened, we should be cautious.)
“Ich vertraue allem, was du sagst.”
(I trust everything you say.)

Key point: “Allem” is used when “everything” is in the dative case and is describing an action or condition involving the totality.
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3. Alle (Plural, Nominative/Accusative)
“Alle” is used when talking about a plural group of people or things. It is an indefinite pronoun and appears in either the nominative or accusative case. In this form, it is always used in the plural.
Examples:

Nominative:
“Alle sind gekommen.”
(Everyone came.)

Accusative:
“Ich habe alle gesehen.”
(I saw everyone.)

Key point: “Alle” is used to refer to a plural group of people or things in either the nominative or accusative case.
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4. Allen (Plural, Dative)
“Allen” is the dative form of “alle” and is used when referring to a group of people or things in the dative case. Like “alle,” it is always plural.

Examples:
“Ich danke allen für ihre Hilfe.”
(I thank everyone for their help.)
“Mit allen hatte ich ein gutes Gespräch.”
(I had a good conversation with everyone.)

Key point: “Allen” refers to a plural group of people or things in the dative case.
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Summary
To better understand the differences between “alles,” “allem,” “alle,” and “allen,” here’s a quick breakdown:

Alles: Neuter singular, nominative or accusative – refers to the totality of things or situations.
Example: “Alles ist möglich.” (Everything is possible.)

Allem: Neuter singular, dative – the dative form of “alles,” used after prepositions or in dative constructions.
Example: “Nach allem, was ich weiß…” (After everything I know…)

Alle: Plural, nominative or accusative – refers to a group of people or things in the nominative or accusative case.
Example: “Alle kamen zur Party.” (Everyone came to the party.)

Allen: Plural, dative – the dative form of “alle,” used in dative constructions when referring to multiple people or things.
Example: “Ich danke allen, die geholfen haben.” (I thank everyone who helped.)
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Conclusion
The differences between “alles,” “allem,” “alle,” and “allen” are based on grammatical case (nominative, accusative, dative) and number (singular, plural). While “alles” and “allem” are used in the singular and refer to the totality of things, “alle” and “allen” are plural forms that refer to multiple people or things. Understanding these distinctions will help you choose the correct form in the right context!