Niemand darf schummeln.

nobody

Breakdown of Niemand darf schummeln.

• dürfen: may / to be allowed to
• schummeln: to cheat

Questions & Answers about Niemand darf schummeln.

Why is niemand at the beginning of the sentence?

Because niemand is the subject of the sentence: Niemand darf schummeln. = Nobody is allowed to cheat.

German main clauses usually put the finite verb in the second position, so if the subject comes first, the verb follows it:

• Niemand = subject
• darf = finite verb
• schummeln = infinitive at the end

This is a very normal word order in German.

What exactly does niemand mean, and how is it different from nicht jemand?

Niemand means nobody / no one.

It is a single word and is the normal way to express this idea in German.

• Niemand darf schummeln. = Nobody may cheat.

Nicht jemand is generally not how German expresses nobody. A learner should usually use niemand, not nicht jemand.

Why is darf used here?