What is the difference between these two words and in which situations should each of them be used? When I check with a dictionary I get to the same result “All”.
Alle vs allem
RexV
May 1, 2019
sfpugh
May 2, 2019
Alle meaning all is always plural and declines as follows
nom alle
acc alle
dat allen
gen aller
Alle also has a fixed form all which is used in front of articles or possessive pronouns, here is an example from the course, 20.2
und all diese blöden Serien in der Hauptsendezeit.
and all the dumb series during prime time
another example:
All sein Mut war verschwunden
All his courage had disappeard
Alle can be used as a pronoun as well, however there is a special case, "everything" is treated as singular so we have vor allem meaning "especially" or literally "in front of everything".
However "everyone" is treated as plural so vor allen would be in front of everyone.
I hope I got all this right, maybe Liss will comment.
However "everyone" is treated as plural so vor allen would be in front of everyone.
I hope I got all this right, maybe Liss will comment.
Liss-Rocket-Languages-Tutor
May 8, 2019
Hallo RexV und sfpugh!
Aller is a complicated word. But you are on the right track, sfpugh!
Aller actually has both singular and plural forms, however:
Masc.:
nom.: aller
acc.: allen
dat.: allem
gen.: alles/allen
Fem.:
nom.: alle
acc.: alle
dat.: aller
gen.: aller
Neu.:
nom.: alles
acc.: alles
dat.: allem
gen.: alles/allen
Plural:
nom.: alle
acc.: alle
dat.: allen
gen.: aller
Note that the genitive form alles is used when the noun does not take an -s ending in the genitive, and the genitive form allen is used when the noun does take an -s ending in the genitive.
You are also correct to say that the form all is used before possessive adjectives (e.g. "my," "his"), definite articles (i.e. "the") and demonstrative adjectives (e.g. "this," "that"), sfpugh. Note, however, that you may still sometimes see the inflected forms in the table above used in these situations. This would be a lower style register.
I hope that this clears up your question, RexV!
Tschüss!
Liss
Aller is a complicated word. But you are on the right track, sfpugh!
Aller actually has both singular and plural forms, however:
Masc.:
nom.: aller
acc.: allen
dat.: allem
gen.: alles/allen
Fem.:
nom.: alle
acc.: alle
dat.: aller
gen.: aller
Neu.:
nom.: alles
acc.: alles
dat.: allem
gen.: alles/allen
Plural:
nom.: alle
acc.: alle
dat.: allen
gen.: aller
Note that the genitive form alles is used when the noun does not take an -s ending in the genitive, and the genitive form allen is used when the noun does take an -s ending in the genitive.
You are also correct to say that the form all is used before possessive adjectives (e.g. "my," "his"), definite articles (i.e. "the") and demonstrative adjectives (e.g. "this," "that"), sfpugh. Note, however, that you may still sometimes see the inflected forms in the table above used in these situations. This would be a lower style register.
I hope that this clears up your question, RexV!
Tschüss!
Liss
sfpugh
May 9, 2019
Thanks for pointing out the use aller in the singular Liss.
Would I be right in thinking it is normally used in the neuter alles - "everything" even the German national anthem. Are there examples of use in the singular masculine and feminine forms or is it only used for things?
Would I be right in thinking it is normally used in the neuter alles - "everything" even the German national anthem. Are there examples of use in the singular masculine and feminine forms or is it only used for things?
Liss-Rocket-Languages-Tutor
May 13, 2019
Hallo sfpugh!
Yes, it's safe to say that the most common singular form would be the neuter alles, as in Ich habe alles gemacht "I have done everything" or Ich wollte dir für alles danken "I wanted to thank you for everything." It also appears in set phrases, like trotz allem "in spite of everything."
The other singular forms are much less common, and you're unlikely to see them by themselves. You will generally only see them in select phrases, such as aller Schmerz dieser Welt "all the pain in this world" or mit aller Kraft "with all (your) strength."
I hope that that is helpful!
Bis zum nächsten Mal,
Liss
Yes, it's safe to say that the most common singular form would be the neuter alles, as in Ich habe alles gemacht "I have done everything" or Ich wollte dir für alles danken "I wanted to thank you for everything." It also appears in set phrases, like trotz allem "in spite of everything."
The other singular forms are much less common, and you're unlikely to see them by themselves. You will generally only see them in select phrases, such as aller Schmerz dieser Welt "all the pain in this world" or mit aller Kraft "with all (your) strength."
I hope that that is helpful!
Bis zum nächsten Mal,
Liss
sfpugh
May 14, 2019
Thank you, that's great.
Simon
Simon
Liss-Rocket-Languages-Tutor
May 15, 2019
Bitte! :)
Liss
Liss
RobertD50
April 25, 2020
I realize I'm adding to an old thread, but this seems like an appropriate place for this question. In lesson 5.1, in the middle of a sentence "allem" is sometimes capitalized, sometimes not. Is there some rule for this, per perhaps just an editing error?
sfpugh
April 26, 2020
Good point, I wonder what the tutors have to say.
I assume you are referring to this phrase:
I assume you are referring to this phrase:
Sind Sie mit Allem zufrieden?
Are you satisfied with everything? (polite)
I think Allem is capitalised because it is functioning as a noun, on the other hand the Duden proof reader sees it as an error - but it isn't infallible.
I think Allem is capitalised because it is functioning as a noun, on the other hand the Duden proof reader sees it as an error - but it isn't infallible.
Julia-Rocket-German-Tutor
April 27, 2020
Hi RobertD50 und sfpugh,
It is actually a typo in the lesson. All and all its forms should always be lowercased. The only time you would find it capitalised would be the idiom "mein Ein und Alles" meaning "my one and only".
Our apologies for the error, I will pass this on to the development team to be fixed.
Viele Grüße
Julia
It is actually a typo in the lesson. All and all its forms should always be lowercased. The only time you would find it capitalised would be the idiom "mein Ein und Alles" meaning "my one and only".
Our apologies for the error, I will pass this on to the development team to be fixed.
Viele Grüße
Julia
sfpugh
April 27, 2020
Thank you for the clarification Julia.
In that case there are typos in 12.3
In that case there are typos in 12.3
Ich liebe dich überalles und du bist mein ein und alles.
I love you more than anything and you are everything to me. (casual, singular)
The phrase appears correctly in 12.2
The phrase appears correctly in 12.2
Ich liebe dich über alles, und du bist mein Ein und Alles.
I love you more than anything and you are everything to me. (casual, singular)
Maybe even Germans get confused by this :)
Maybe even Germans get confused by this :)
Julia-Rocket-German-Tutor
April 28, 2020
Hallo sfpugh,
thank you very much for pointing that out! I have also passed this on to be fixed. Our apologies for the error.
No wonder Germans say "Deutsche Sprache, schwere Sprache." - "German language, hard language."
Bis zum nächsten Mal.
Julia
thank you very much for pointing that out! I have also passed this on to be fixed. Our apologies for the error.
No wonder Germans say "Deutsche Sprache, schwere Sprache." - "German language, hard language."
Bis zum nächsten Mal.
Julia