1.
nobody; no one; not anyone
With a negative predicate, means that no person performs or is affected by the action. The negative verb is required.
誰もいなかった。
Nobody was there.
誰もその質問に答えられなかった。
Nobody could answer that question.
日曜日なのに、公園には誰もいない。
Even though it's Sunday, there's nobody at the park.
2.
everyone; everybody; anyone
With an affirmative predicate, means all people or any person. Often appears as 誰もが.
誰もが知っている話だ。
It's a story everyone knows.
誰もが一度は失敗する。
Everyone fails at least once.
誰もが認める実力の持ち主だ。
He's someone whose ability everyone acknowledges.
GRAMMAR:
The meaning depends on the polarity of the predicate:
- 誰も + NEGATIVE → nobody (誰も来ない = nobody comes)
- 誰もが + AFFIRMATIVE → everyone (誰もが知っている = everyone knows)
The が particle is often added in the affirmative sense (誰もが) to mark the subject explicitly. In the negative sense, が is typically omitted.
PATTERN:
This follows the same pattern as other interrogative + も combinations:
- 何も + NEG = nothing
- どこも + NEG = nowhere
- いつも = always (exception: affirmative by default)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 誰か: someone — indefinite, not universal
- 誰でも: anyone (without restriction) — emphasizes lack of limitation