Indefinite Pronouns in Turkish

In Brief

The essential Turkish indefinite pronouns are bir şey “something,” biri/birisi “someone,” hiçbir şey “nothing,” hiç kimse “nobody,” her şey “everything,” and herkes “everyone.” With hiçbir şey and hiç kimse, Turkish normally also makes the verb negative: Hiç kimse gelmedi means “Nobody came,” even though both the pronoun and verb carry negative meaning.

Overview

An indefinite pronoun is a word or phrase that refers to a person or thing without identifying exactly who or what it is. English examples include “someone,” “nothing,” and “everyone.” Turkish forms many of these expressions from familiar words: bir means “one/a,” her means “every,” şey means “thing,” and kimse refers to a person in expressions such as “anyone” or “nobody.”

These forms are introduced at A1 because they solve everyday communication needs immediately. You can offer something, say that nobody is present, explain that you understood nothing, or make a statement about everyone. The six core forms are worth learning as complete units, including their spelling.

The main adjustment for an English-speaking learner is negative agreement: negative meaning appears in more than one place in the Turkish sentence. English normally says “Nobody came,” with a positive-looking verb. Turkish says Hiç kimse gelmedi, using both hiç kimse and the negative verb gelmedi. This pattern is standard Turkish, not an error or a literal imitation of English.

How It Works

The core set

Reference	Non-specific	Negative	All-inclusive
Things	bir şey — something	hiçbir şey — nothing; not anything	her şey — everything
People	biri / birisi — someone	hiç kimse — nobody; not anybody	herkes — everyone

The English translations change slightly with context. For example, hiçbir şey may correspond to either “nothing” or “not anything,” but the Turkish structure remains the same:

• Hiçbir şey görmedim. — I saw nothing. / I didn’t see anything.
• Hiçbir şey yok. — There is nothing. / There isn’t anything.

Forms for things

Bir şey: something

Bir şey consists of two separately written words. It refers to an unspecified thing:

• Bir şey duydum. — I heard something.
• Bir şey ister misin? — Would you like something?

Although bir can mean “one,” do not force the literal translation “one thing” every time. In many sentences, natural English simply uses “something.”

Hiçbir şey: nothing or not anything

In hiçbir şey, hiçbir is written as one word, while şey remains separate. This expression usually occurs with a negative verb, yok “there is not,” or another negative predicate:

• Hiçbir şey bilmiyorum. — I don’t know anything.
• Buzdolabında hiçbir şey yok. — There is nothing in the fridge.

The verb bilmiyorum contains the negative element -m-. Turkish requires this negative marking even though hiçbir şey already contributes negative meaning.

Her şey: everything

Her şey is written as two words and normally takes a positive verb or predicate:

• Her şey hazır. — Everything is ready.
• Her şeyi hatırlıyorum. — I remember everything.

Do not confuse her şey “everything” with herhangi bir şey “anything/any particular thing,” which is introduced later in this article.

Forms for people

Biri and birisi: someone

Biri and birisi can both mean “someone” or “somebody.” In ordinary use, there is usually no important difference:

• Kapıda biri var. — There is someone at the door.
• Birisi seni aradı. — Somebody called you.

Depending on context, biri can also mean “one of them” or simply “one.” Context tells you whether the speaker means an unidentified person or one member of a group.

Hiç kimse: nobody or not anybody

Hiç kimse is written as two words. Like hiçbir şey, it normally requires a negative verb:

• Hiç kimse cevap vermedi. — Nobody answered.
• Burada hiç kimse yok. — Nobody is here.

In questions and conditions, a form with hiç can have the English sense “anyone” rather than “nobody”: Hiç kimse geldi mi? means “Did anyone come?” In a simple beginner statement, however, pair hiç kimse with negation.

Herkes: everyone

Herkes is one word. Grammatically it refers to a group, but it behaves as a singular subject in standard Turkish:

• Herkes geldi. — Everyone came.
• Herkes biliyor. — Everyone knows.

English behaves similarly in “everyone is,” not “everyone are.” Turkish does not add the plural suffix -ler/-lar to the basic pronoun.

Negative agreement

For beginner statements, use this dependable pattern:

Meaning	Turkish pattern	Example
Nobody did it	hiç kimse + negative verb	Hiç kimse aramadı. — Nobody called.
Nothing happened	hiçbir şey + negative verb	Hiçbir şey olmadı. — Nothing happened.
Nobody/nothing is present	negative pronoun + yok	Hiç kimse yok. — Nobody is here.

The English habit of putting the negative meaning in only one place can produce incorrect Turkish. Hiç kimse geldi is not the normal way to say “Nobody came”; use Hiç kimse gelmedi.

Adding case suffixes

A case suffix is an ending that shows a word’s role or relationship in the sentence—for example, movement “to” something, location “at” something, or a specific direct object (the person or thing directly affected by an action). Turkish indefinite pronouns accept the same kinds of endings as nouns.

With phrases ending in şey, attach the suffix to şey, not to bir, hiçbir, or her. A buffer y appears before a vowel-initial case suffix because şey ends in a vowel sound.

Basic form	Accusative: specific object	Dative: to/for	Locative: in/on/at	Ablative: from/about
bir şey	bir şeyi	bir şeye	bir şeyde	bir şeyden
hiçbir şey	hiçbir şeyi	hiçbir şeye	hiçbir şeyde	hiçbir şeyden
her şey	her şeyi	her şeye	her şeyde	her şeyden
biri	birini	birine	birinde	birinden
birisi	birisini	birisine	birisinde	birisinden
herkes	herkesi	herkese	—	herkesten

Not every possible form is equally common. The dash avoids suggesting that “in everyone” is an everyday phrase, although Turkish can form case-marked words when a suitable context requires them.

The forms of biri deserve attention. Before a case ending, the final possessive-like -i is followed by n: birini, birine, birinden. Learn these as sound patterns rather than trying to add the visible suffix mechanically.

Hiç kimse changes on its last word: hiç kimseyi “nobody/anybody” as an object, hiç kimseye “to nobody/anybody,” and hiç kimseden “from nobody/anybody.”

Examples in Context

Turkish	English	Note
Bir şey istiyor musun?	Do you want something?	An everyday offer or question
Masada bir şey var.	There is something on the table.	Unspecified thing with var
Birisi kapıyı çalıyor.	Someone is knocking at the door.	Unidentified person
Dün biri beni aradı.	Someone called me yesterday.	Biri as the subject
Hiç kimse gelmedi.	Nobody came.	Negative pronoun plus negative verb
Hiçbir şey anlamadım.	I didn’t understand anything.	Negative direct object
Evde hiç kimse yok.	There is nobody at home.	Non-existence with yok
Her şey güzel.	Everything is beautiful.	Predicate with no present-tense “is” word
Herkes seni bekliyor.	Everyone is waiting for you.	Herkes is a singular subject
Her şeyi kontrol ettim.	I checked everything.	Accusative -i on şey
Birine yardım etmeliyiz.	We should help someone.	Dative form of biri
Hiç kimseye söylemedim.	I didn’t tell anyone.	Dative plus a negative verb
Her şeyden biraz aldık.	We took a little of everything.	Ablative -den
Bu konuda hiçbir şey bilmiyor musun?	Don’t you know anything about this?	Negative question
Herkesin bir fikri var.	Everyone has an opinion.	Genitive form herkesin

Common Mistakes

Using a positive verb after a negative pronoun

• Wrong: Hiç kimse geldi.
• Right: Hiç kimse gelmedi.
• Why: In a statement meaning “Nobody came,” Turkish marks the verb as negative too. English does not normally use this pattern, so it must be learned deliberately.

Writing the expressions as one large word

• Wrong: birşey, herşey, hiçkimse
• Right: bir şey, her şey, hiç kimse
• Why: Şey is separate in these expressions, and hiç kimse is also two words. Only hiçbir within hiçbir şey is joined; herkes is one word.

Attaching a case suffix to the first word

• Wrong: bire şey, here şeyi
• Right: bir şeye, her şeyi
• Why: In phrases with şey, the ending belongs on the final word: şey.

Translating “anyone” with one fixed Turkish word

• Wrong strategy: assuming English “anyone” always equals hiç kimse
• Right: Hiç kimseyi görmedim. — “I didn’t see anyone”; Herhangi biri gelebilir. — “Anyone can come.”
• Why: English “any” has several jobs. Negative anyone often corresponds to hiç kimse, while free-choice “anyone at all” commonly uses herhangi biri.

Making herkes plural

• Wrong: Herkes geldiler.
• Right: Herkes geldi.
• Why: Herkes already means “everyone” and normally takes singular agreement. A plural verb can occur in marked or conversational patterns involving people, but it is not the beginner default.

Forgetting the linking n in biri forms

• Wrong: biriye, biriyi
• Right: birine, birini
• Why: Before case suffixes, biri uses the linker n.

Usage Notes

Bir şey is extremely frequent in conversation and has uses broader than literal “something.” For example, Bir şey değil is a conventional response meaning “It’s nothing” or “You’re welcome.” Likewise, Bir şey sorabilir miyim?—literally “May I ask something?”—is a natural way to introduce a question.

Biri and birisi are both ordinary modern forms. Choice often depends on rhythm, speaker preference, and the surrounding sentence rather than a firm meaning difference. When the referent is already understood as part of a set, biri readily means “one”: Bunlardan biri is “one of these.”

In negative sentences, you may encounter both kimse and hiç kimse: Kimse gelmedi and Hiç kimse gelmedi both mean “Nobody came.” Adding hiç makes the negative sense especially explicit or emphatic. Beginners can safely use the fuller hiç kimse pattern taught here.

Beyond the Basics: Wider Indefinite Patterns

You do not need to master the following forms at A1, but they complete the system and appear often in authentic Turkish.

Herhangi bir: any

Herhangi bir presents a choice as unrestricted or unimportant:

• Herhangi bir gün gelebilirsin. — You can come any day.
• Herhangi biri bunu yapabilir. — Anyone can do this.
• Herhangi bir şey seç. — Choose anything.

This differs from negative-polarity hiç kimse/hiçbir şey, which commonly appears under negation. Compare:

• Hiç kimse yardım etmedi. — Nobody helped.
• Herhangi biri yardım edebilir. — Anyone can help.

Hiçbiri: none of them

Hiçbiri means “none” or “none of them” when a set is understood. It also takes a negative verb:

• Hiçbiri çalışmıyor. — None of them works.
• Kitapların hiçbirini okumadım. — I didn’t read any of the books.

The second sentence uses hiçbirini, the accusative form needed because the books are the specific objects of “read.”

Birileri and bazıları

Birileri means “someone” or “some people,” often suggesting one or more unidentified people: Birileri dışarıda konuşuyor — “Someone/some people are talking outside.” Bazıları means “some of them”: Bazıları erken ayrıldı — “Some of them left early.” These plural-looking forms are useful when the number is unclear or when referring to part of a known group.

Possession and longer noun phrases

Indefinite pronouns can participate in possessive structures. The genitive case marks the possessor—the person or thing that “has” something:

• Herkesin bir fikri var. — Everyone has an opinion.
• Birinin telefonu çalıyor. — Someone’s phone is ringing.
• Hiç kimsenin cevabı yok. — Nobody has an answer.

Notice the forms herkesin, birinin, and hiç kimsenin. The possessed noun also carries a possessive ending: fikri, telefonu, cevabı. This belongs to the wider Turkish possession system and is best studied after the core A1 forms are comfortable.

Practice Tips

1. Learn six mini-pairs, not isolated dictionary entries. Say bir şey var / hiçbir şey yok, biri geldi / hiç kimse gelmedi, and her şey / herkes aloud. The positive and negative verbs become part of the pattern.
2. Transform one sentence at a time. Start with Biri aradı “Someone called,” then change it to Hiç kimse aramadı “Nobody called” and Herkes aradı “Everyone called.” This makes the change in verb polarity visible.
3. Drill useful case forms in short phrases. Practise bir şey istiyorum, bir şeyi gördüm, bir şeye baktım, and bir şeyden bahsettim. Then replace bir with hiçbir or her and adjust the sentence meaning.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Personal Pronouns — introduces how Turkish pronouns stand for people and take roles in a sentence.