Am I right in thinking that the dative, "niemandem" should have been used here?
"Du brauchst niemanden etwas zu beweisen."
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Sign up to join this communityAm I right in thinking that the dative, "niemandem" should have been used here?
"Du brauchst niemanden etwas zu beweisen."
Yes, it is dative "niemandem", not the accusative "niemanden", as it is the indirect object, not the direct object "to be proven". The form "niemand" without special ending is technically also possible in both, dative and accusative.
Du brauchst niemandem etwas zu beweisen.
Du brauchst niemand etwas zu beweisen.
http://www.duden.de/sprachwissen/sprachratgeber/deklination-von-niemand
You're right about that. The dative is right here.
Btw. Der Klügere gibt nach, bis er der Dumme ist.