You use someone or somebody to refer to a person without saying exactly who you mean.
Her father was shot by someone trying to rob his small retail store.
I need someone to help me.
If somebody asks me how my diet is going, I say, 'Fine'.
He noticed a huge crowd gathered outside–someone really famous must be staying there.
2. pronoun
If you say that a person is someone or somebodyin a particular kind of work or in a particular place, you mean that they are considered to be important in that kind of work or in that place.
He was somebody in the law division.
'Before she came around,' she says, 'I was somebody in this town'.
More Synonyms of someone
English Easy Learning GrammarIndefinite pronounsThe indefinite pronouns are used when you do not know or do not need to say preciselywho or what you are referring to. The noun phrase which they substitute ... Read more
someone in British English
(ˈsʌmˌwʌn, -wən)
pronoun
some person; somebody
▶ USAGE Someone and somebody are interchangeable, as are everyone and everybody, and no-one and nobody.
someone in American English
(ˈsʌmˌwʌn; ˈsʌmwən)
pronoun
a person unknown or not named; some person; somebody
Examples of 'someone' in a sentence
someone
She was around thirty-five I'd say and quite good-looking -- I wondered how she'd ended up with someone like Christian.
Hugo Wilcken THE EXECUTION (2002)
The other day someone anonymously sent us a newspaper clipping, dated a few years back.
Hugo Wilcken THE EXECUTION (2002)
What I'd found jarring at the time was this emotional reaction to the death of someone she'd never even met.
Hugo Wilcken THE EXECUTION (2002)
I could be spotted by someone on the street who'd seen my picture in the paper.
Lisa Scottoline LEGAL TENDER (2002)
In other languages
someone
British English: someone /ˈsʌmˌwʌn; -wən/ PRONOUN
You use someone to talk about a person without saying who you mean.
I need someone to help me.
American English: someone
Arabic: شَخْصٌ مَا
Brazilian Portuguese: alguém
Chinese: 某人
Croatian: netko
Czech: někdo
Danish: nogen
Dutch: iemand
European Spanish: alguien afirmación
Finnish: joku
French: quelqu’un
German: jemand
Greek: κάποιος
Italian: qualcuno
Japanese: 誰か
Korean: 누군가
Norwegian: noen
Polish: ktoś
European Portuguese: alguém
Romanian: cineva
Russian: кто-то
Latin American Spanish: alguien
Swedish: någon
Thai: บางคน
Turkish: birisi
Ukrainian: хтось
Vietnamese: người nào đó
All related terms of 'someone'
let someone be
To let someone be means to leave them alone and not interfere in what they are doing.
let sb go
If you let someone or something go , you allow them to leave or escape .
put someone on
to connect (a person) by telephone
a pox on someone
an expression of intense disgust or aversion for someone
bleed sb dry to bleed someone white
If someone is being bled dry or is being bled white , all of their money or other resources are gradually being taken away from them.
blow someone away
to kill by shooting
bring someone luck
If you say that something brings bad luck or brings someone good luck , you believe that it has an influence on whether good or bad things happen to them.
bum someone out
to disappoint , annoy , or upset someone
call sb names
If someone calls you names , they insult you by saying unpleasant things to you or about you.
catch someone cold
to score against someone in a sports game because they are not prepared for your attack
cut sb dead
If you see someone you know and cut them dead , you ignore them.
do someone dirt
to betray someone or treat them very badly
do someone proud
If someone does you proud , they treat you very well , for example by welcoming you and giving you good food and entertainment .
eat someone alive
to cause someone great pain or distress
get someone going
to cause a person to be excited , angry , etc.
get (someone) off
to cause to experience euphoria , intoxication , an orgasm , etc.
give someone curry
to assault (a person) verbally or physically
give someone hell
If you say that something is giving you hell , you are emphasizing that it is causing you a lot of trouble or pain.
give someone one
to have sex with someone
give someone pause
to make someone hesitant or uncertain
keep someone sweet
If you keep someone sweet , you do something to please them in order to prevent them from becoming annoyed or dissatisfied .
leave someone cold
If something leaves you cold , it fails to excite or interest you.
let someone stew
to deliberately leave someone to worry about something, for example the consequence of their actions, and to not do anything to comfort or help them
make someone tired
to annoy or vex someone
nark at someone
to nag someone
nick someone for
to defraud someone to the extent of
play someone false
to deceive, cheat , hoodwink , or betray someone
run someone close
to compete closely with; present a serious challenge to
run sb ragged
If someone runs you ragged , they make you do so much that you become exhausted .
say someone nay
to refuse or forbid
see someone right
to ensure fair treatment of (someone)
sell someone short
to fail to provide someone with all the things that they think you ought to provide
skin someone alive
to make someone suffer a lot in order to get an advantage for yourself
someone is toast
said to mean that someone is no longer important or powerful , or that their position is under threat
stand to someone
to be useful to someone
tune someone grief
to annoy or harass someone
wish someone well
to wish success or good fortune for someone
woe betide someone
misfortune will befall someone
at someone's elbow
very close to someone; easy to reach
at someone's feet
as someone's disciple
at someone's hand
from
beat someone hollow
to defeat someone completely
beat someone to it
If you intend to do something but someone beats you to it , they do it before you do.
be lost on someone
If advice or a comment is lost on someone, they do not understand it or they pay no attention to it.
bend someone's ear
to keep talking to someone about something, usually in an annoying way
be news to sb
If you say that something is news to you, you mean that you did not previously know what you have just been told , especially when you are surprised or annoyed about it.
chew someone's ear
to reprimand severely
come someone's way
to come within someone's scope or range ; come to someone
credit someone with
to believe that someone has or is responsible for; ascribe to someone
fill someone in on
to provide someone with additional facts , details , etc. about
Chinese translation of 'someone'
someone
(ˈsʌmwʌn)
pron
某人 (mǒurén)
there's someone coming有人来(來)了 (yǒu rén lái le)
I saw someone in the garden我看见(見)花园(園)里(裡)有人 (wǒ kànjiàn huāyuán li yǒu rén)
someone else别(別)人 (biérén)
All related terms of 'someone'
someone else
别(別)人 biérén
there's someone coming
有人来(來)了 yǒu rén lái le
there's someone at the door
门(門)口有人 ménkǒu yǒurén
I saw someone in the garden
我看见(見)花园(園)里(裡)有人 wǒ kànjiàn huāyuán li yǒu rén
it's unusual to see someone so tall
难(難)得见(見)到这(這)么(麼)高的人 nándé jiàndào zhème gāo de rén
the job is to go to someone else
这(這)份工作将(將)归(歸)别(別)人所得 zhè fèn gōngzuò jiāng guī biérén suǒ dé