somebody
- 01 A1 Beginner
pron.a person, but you do not know or say exactly who they are.
pron.an unspecified or unknown person. Functions as a singular pronoun and typically takes a singular verb.
Simple“Somebody left the front door open, and now the house is freezing.”
In context“Somebody must have entered the building after the security guard finished his rounds, as the alarm was triggered at midnight.”
PitfallSomebody have left their umbrella. Somebody has left their umbrella.Even though 'somebody' refers to people in general, it is grammatically singular and requires a singular verb like 'has' or 'is'.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a person who is famous, successful, or important.
n.a person of importance, authority, or celebrity status. Often used in contrast with 'nobody'.
Simple“He worked hard because he really wanted to be somebody one day.”
In context“After years of playing minor roles in local theatre, she finally became a somebody in Hollywood following her breakout performance.”
Usage somebody else
From Middle English sum body, equivalent to some + body.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.