Κανείς δεν ξέρει τα πάντα.

No one knows everything.

Breakdown of Κανείς δεν ξέρει τα πάντα.

• δεν: not
• ξέρω: to know
• τα πάντα: everything
• κανείς: no one

Questions & Answers about Κανείς δεν ξέρει τα πάντα.

What is the word‑for‑word breakdown of Κανείς δεν ξέρει τα πάντα?

• Κανείς = nobody / no one
• δεν = not (negative particle used with verbs)
• ξέρει = (he/she/it) knows
• τα = the (neuter plural)
• πάντα = everything (here; literally “all things”)

So a very literal gloss would be: “No one not knows the everything.” In natural English: “Nobody knows everything.”

Why do we have both κανείς and δεν? Isn’t that a double negative?

In Greek this is normal and correct; it’s called negative concord.

• κανείς is a negative pronoun (“nobody”),
• δεν is the normal negative particle used with verbs (“not”).

When you use κανείς as “nobody”, you must also use δεν with the verb:

• ✅ Κανείς δεν ξέρει. = Nobody knows.
• ❌ Κανείς ξέρει. (ungrammatical in standard Greek)

So unlike in standard English, Greek allows and requires what looks like a “double negative” to express a single negation.

Can κανείς ever mean “anyone”, not “nobody”?

Yes. κανείς is tricky because its meaning depends on context:

• With δεν (or other negatives) ⇒ “nobody/no one”

  • Κανείς δεν ήρθε. = Nobody came.

• In questions, conditionals, or some positive contexts ⇒ “anyone”

  • Ξέρει κανείς; = Does anyone know?
  • Αν έρθει κανείς, πες μου. = If anyone comes, tell me.

So: κανείς + δεν = “nobody”; κανείς without a negative often = “anyone”.

What’s the difference between κανείς and κανένας? Could I say Κανένας δεν ξέρει τα πάντα?

Yes, you can say Κανένας δεν ξέρει τα πάντα; it’s very common and natural.

Difference in nuance:

• κανείς – somewhat more neutral / standard, often seen in writing and careful speech.
• κανένας – a bit more colloquial; very frequent in everyday spoken Greek.

Meaning in this sentence is the same:

• Κανείς δεν ξέρει τα πάντα.
• Κανένας δεν ξέρει τα πάντα.
  Both = “Nobody knows everything.”

Why is the verb ξέρει (3rd person singular) and not plural? Isn’t “nobody” talking about many people?

Grammatically, κανείς is singular, like English “nobody” or “no one”.

• English: Nobody knows (not nobody know).
• Greek: Κανείς δεν ξέρει (not Κανείς δεν ξέρουν).

So the verb agrees with κανείς as a singular subject. Even if you think of “nobody” as “no people at all”, the grammar still treats it as one pronoun.

What is the tense and person of ξέρει, and what’s the base form?

• Base form (dictionary form): ξέρω = I know
• ξέρει is:
  
  • present tense
  • 3rd person singular (“he/she/it knows” or “someone knows”)

Main present‑tense forms:

• εγώ ξέρω – I know
• εσύ ξέρεις – you know
• αυτός/αυτή/αυτό ξέρει – he/she/it knows

Here, κανείς is the subject, so we use ξέρει:
Κανείς δεν ξέρει… = Nobody knows…

Where does δεν normally go in a Greek sentence? Could we move it?

δεν normally goes immediately before the verb it negates:

• Κανείς δεν ξέρει τα πάντα.
  
  • Subject: Κανείς
  • Negative + verb: δεν ξέρει

You cannot put δεν after the verb or far away from it:

• ❌ Κανείς ξέρει δεν τα πάντα – wrong.

Word order around it can change (for emphasis), but δεν stays right in front of the verb.

Can we change the word order to Δεν ξέρει κανείς τα πάντα? Does it mean the same thing?

Yes, Δεν ξέρει κανείς τα πάντα is also correct and means the same in most contexts: “Nobody knows everything.”

Differences:

• Κανείς δεν ξέρει τα πάντα. – Starts with κανείς; focuses slightly more on “no one”.
• Δεν ξέρει κανείς τα πάντα. – Starts with δεν ξέρει; the “no one” comes after the verb, often heard as a bit more conversational.

Both are natural. Greek word order is relatively flexible, but the verb still has to be negated with δεν, and κανείς stays in the same clause.

What exactly is τα πάντα? Why is there an article, and why plural?

τα πάντα is a set expression meaning “everything” / “absolutely everything”.

Grammatically:

• τα = neuter plural definite article “the”
• πάντα = literally “all (things)” used as a noun here

So τα πάντα literally is “the all (things)” ⇒ “everything”.
The article + adjective construction is common in Greek to make an adjective act as a noun (a “substantivized” adjective).

Is πάντα here the same word as πάντα meaning “always”? How do I tell the difference?

Yes, it’s the same form but used in two different ways:

1. Adverb: “always”

   • Πάντα τρώει πολύ. = He always eats a lot.

2. Noun phrase with article: “everything”

   • τα πάντα = everything

Clue:

• If you see πάντα with the neuter plural article τα ⇒ τα πάντα = “everything”.
• Without article, especially before a verb, it’s usually the adverb “always”.

So in Κανείς δεν ξέρει τα πάντα, the article τα shows we mean “everything”, not “always”.

Could we say Κανείς δεν ξέρει όλα instead of τα πάντα?

You could say Κανείς δεν τα ξέρει όλα, but you need the object pronoun and article to sound natural:

• Κανείς δεν τα ξέρει όλα. = Nobody knows it all / Nobody knows everything.

Differences in nuance:

• τα πάντα sounds a bit more absolute / emphatic: absolutely everything.
• (τα) ξέρει όλα is very common and natural too, but a bit more neutral.

So:

• Κανείς δεν ξέρει τα πάντα.
• Κανείς δεν τα ξέρει όλα.
  Both are fine, with a slight stylistic difference.

What gender and case is κανείς here, and does it have feminine or neuter forms?

In Κανείς δεν ξέρει τα πάντα, κανείς is:

• masculine,
• nominative,
• singular (subject of the verb).

Forms:

• Masculine: κανείς / κανένας
• Feminine: καμία (or καμιά)
• Neuter: κανένα

You could say, for example:

• Καμία δεν ξέρει τα πάντα. = No woman knows everything.

But when speaking generally about “nobody” in the human race, Greek typically uses the masculine form (κανείς or κανένας) by default.

In what kind of situation would a Greek speaker naturally say Κανείς δεν ξέρει τα πάντα?

It’s a very natural, almost proverbial‑sounding sentence. You might use it:

• To remind someone that no one is perfect or all‑knowing.
• To calm or encourage someone who feels ignorant:
  
  • “Don’t worry, nobody knows everything.”
• To justify asking questions or seeking help:
  
  • “We can ask; nobody knows everything.”

So it works like a general truth, similar to saying “No one knows everything” in English.