German word

all

Pronunciation

IPA/al/

Meaning

  • adjectiveall

Example

Er hat alle Bücher gelesen.

He has read all the books.

Illustration for all (all)

More examples

alle Menschen verdienen Respekt.

All people deserve respect.

Core concept

A wide net reaches every person or thing in a group at once, leaving no separate part untouched.

Common phrases

  • alle Menschen

    all people

  • alle Möglichkeiten

    all possibilities

  • alle Rechte

    all rights

Similar words

alle: Placed before a plural noun, refers to every member or item in that group.
ganz: Describes something as whole and undivided, with every part included.
vollständig: Describes something as complete, with nothing missing or left unfinished.

Definition in German

all bedeutet, dass etwas die Gesamtheit betrifft und kann attributiv vor einem Pluralnomen oder stellvertretend als Pronomen gebraucht werden.

Word origin

The German forms all and alle continue the inherited Germanic word represented by Old High German al and Middle High German al or alle, related to English all.

Usage tips

  • As a standalone pronoun, alle usually refers to several people or things, whereas alles refers to everything as one whole.

Other meanings

  • everyonepronoun
  • everythingnoun

Opposites

  • einzelnindividualadjective
  • manchersomeadjective

Related words

  • Alltageveryday lifenoun
  • allgemeingeneraladjective
  • allumfassendall-encompassingadjective

Word lists with this word