Indefinite Pronouns (someone, something, each/each one, etc.)
B1What are indefinite pronouns?
Indefinite pronouns are words that stand in for people, things, or amounts when the identity or exact number is unknown, unimportant, or general. In French they cover meanings like "someone/somebody," "something," "each/each one," "nobody," "nothing," "anyone," and "everyone."
Examples:
- Quelqu'un frappe à la porte. (Someone is knocking at the door.)
- Il y a quelque chose sur la table. (There is something on the table.)
- Chacun a reçu un message. (Each person received a message.)
When do I use indefinite pronouns?
Use indefinite pronouns when:
- The person or thing is unknown or unimportant: "Quelqu'un a téléphoné." (Someone called.)
- You speak about people in general: "On dit que…" (People say that… / One says that…)
- You talk about every one of a group separately: "Chacun a son ordinateur." (Each person has their computer.)
- You form negative ideas with no person/thing: "Je n'ai vu personne." (I saw nobody.)
Quick examples by situation
- Unknown person: "Quelqu'un m'attend." (Someone is waiting for me.)
- Unknown thing: "Je cherche quelque chose à manger." (I’m looking for something to eat.)
- General people: "On vient demain." (People / we are coming tomorrow.)
- Distribution: "Chacun son tour." (Everyone takes turns.)
- Negative: "Il n'y a rien ici." (There is nothing here.)
How are French indefinite pronouns formed and grouped?
Indefinite pronouns can be grouped by meaning and form. Below are the main groups with explanation and examples.
- Form: singular; masculine form by default: "quelqu'un." It can refer to a man or a woman.
- Use as subject or object: "Quelqu'un a laissé un message." / "Je connais quelqu'un ici." (Someone left a message. / I know someone here.)
- To say "someone else": "quelqu'un d'autre." Example: "Je veux parler à quelqu'un d'autre." (I want to speak to someone else.)
personne (nobody / no one)
- Usually used in negative constructions with "ne": "Je n'ai vu personne." (I saw nobody.)
- As subject: "Personne n'est venu." (No one came.)
- In spoken French you will often hear the "ne" dropped: "J'ai vu personne." — avoid this in formal writing.
n'importe qui (anyone / whoever)
- Means "any person" or "whoever," often used to show no restriction: "N'importe qui peut essayer." (Anyone can try.)
quelques-uns / quelques-unes (some / some of them)
- Used as a pronoun to mean "some (of them)". Hyphenated when used alone: "J'en ai rencontrés quelques-uns." (I met some (of them).)
- When used as an adjective before a noun it becomes "quelques" (no hyphen): "J'ai quelques amis." (I have some friends.)
- Use: refers to an unspecified thing. "J'entends quelque chose." (I hear something.)
- When you add an adjective after it, put de before the adjective: "Quelque chose de bizarre s'est passé." (Something strange happened.)
rien (nothing)
- Usually appears with "ne": "Je ne vois rien." (I see nothing.)
- As subject: "Rien n'est sûr." (Nothing is certain.)
- With adjective: "Rien d'intéressant." (Nothing interesting.)
n'importe quoi (anything / nonsense)
- "N'importe quoi" can mean "anything" or be an exclamation meaning "nonsense": "Tu dis n'importe quoi!" (You're talking nonsense!)
- Always singular and takes a singular verb: "Chacun a son billet." (Each person has their ticket.)
- Feminine form "chacune" when it clearly refers to women: "Chacune a donné son avis." (Each woman gave her opinion.)
- To refer to members of a set: "Chacun des élèves a reçu une note." (Each of the students received a grade.)
tout le monde (everyone) vs. tous / toutes (all / everyone)
- "Tout le monde" = everybody and takes a singular verb: "Tout le monde est prêt." (Everyone is ready.)
- "Tous"/"toutes" as pronouns agree in gender/number: "Ils sont tous partis." / "Elles sont toutes là." (They all left. / They are all here.)
plusieurs (several) and certains/certaines (some)]
- "Plusieurs" takes a plural verb: "Plusieurs ont répondu." (Several answered.)
- "Certains" / "Certaines" are plural and mean "some": "Certains pensent que…" (Some think that…)
- As an adjective: "Je n'ai aucun ami ici." (I have no friends here.) Note the required "ne" in standard negative form.
- As a pronoun: "Aucun n'est venu." (None came.) Use singular verb.
- With a group: "Aucun des invités n'a répondu." (None of the guests replied.)
nul(le) (no one / none) — formal
- Rare in spoken language; mainly in formal or legal contexts: "Nul n'est censé ignorer la loi." (No one is supposed to be ignorant of the law.)
Key grammar points and traps
1) Verb agreement
- Most indefinite pronouns are singular and need a singular verb: "Quelqu'un est là." "Chacun a compris."
- Plural forms like "plusieurs", "quelques-uns" take plural verbs: "Plusieurs sont venus." "Quelques-uns ont répondu."
2) Gender and form
- "Quelqu'un" is masculine in form but can refer to any gender. "Quelqu'une" exists but is rare and often avoided; prefer "une personne" or a noun that marks gender.
- "Chacun" / "chacune" and "certains" / "certaines" change by gender.
3) Using adjectives after indefinite pronouns: use "de"
- When an adjective directly follows some indefinite pronouns, insert "de" (or "d'" before a vowel):
- "Quelqu'un de sympathique." (Someone nice.)
- "Je ne connais personne d'intéressant ici." (I don't know anyone interesting here.)
- "Il y a quelque chose d'étrange." (There is something strange.)
- "Rien d'important." (Nothing important.)
4) Negation: positions of "ne" and pronoun
- Standard negative: "ne ... personne / rien / aucun" (note word order):
- Object negative after verb: "Je ne vois personne." (I don't see anyone.)
- Subject negative before verb: "Personne n'est arrivé." (No one arrived.)
- For "rien" as subject: "Rien n'est sûr." (Nothing is sure.)
- Colloquial speech often drops the "ne": "J'ai vu personne." — avoid this in formal contexts.
5) Hyphenation and forms to watch
- "quelques" (adjective before a noun): "quelques amis." (some friends)
- "quelques-uns / quelques-unes" (pronoun): "J'en ai vus quelques-uns." (I saw some (of them)).
- "quelqu'un" has an apostrophe and is always singular: "quelqu'un" not "quelquun".
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
- Wrong: "Je vois personne." (in formal writing) — Right: "Je ne vois personne."
- Wrong: "Chacun ont reçu un prix." — Right: "Chacun a reçu un prix." (Chacun is singular.)
- Wrong: "Quelque chose bizarre est arrivé." — Right: "Quelque chose de bizarre est arrivé." or "Il y a quelque chose de bizarre."
- Wrong: "Tout le monde sont là." — Right: "Tout le monde est là." (Use singular verb.)
- Wrong: using "quelqu'une" commonly to mark gender — prefer "une personne" or name the person's gender if important: "J'ai parlé à une personne." or "J'ai parlé à une collègue."
Quick reference: common indefinite pronouns with examples
- quelqu'un — Someone
- "Quelqu'un t'attend." (Someone is waiting for you.)
- quelque chose — Something
- "J'ai vu quelque chose." (I saw something.)
- personne — No one / nobody
- "Il n'y a personne ici." (There is no one here.)
- rien — Nothing
- "Je ne comprends rien." (I understand nothing.)
- chacun / chacune — Each / each one
- "Chacun a choisi son cadeau." (Each person chose their gift.)
- tout le monde — Everyone
- "Tout le monde applaudit." (Everyone is applauding.)
- on — One / people / we (indefinite)
- "On dit que…" (People say that…) ; "On y va ?" (Shall we go?)
- quelques / quelques-uns / quelques-unes — Some / some of them
- "J'ai quelques idées." ; "J'en ai vus quelques-uns." (I have some ideas; I saw some of them.)
- plusieurs — Several
- "Plusieurs ont répondu." (Several answered.)
- aucun / aucune — None / not any
- "Je n'ai aucune question." (I have no questions.) ; "Aucun d'entre eux n'est venu." (None of them came.)
- n'importe qui / n'importe quoi — Anyone / anything
- "N'importe qui peut participer." ; "N'importe quoi !" (Nonsense!)
Glossary (simple definitions)
- Pronoun: a word that replaces a noun (e.g., "il", "elle", "quelqu'un").
- Indefinite pronoun: a pronoun that does not refer to a specific person or thing (e.g., "quelqu'un", "rien").
- Subject: the part of the sentence performing the action (e.g., "Quelqu'un" in "Quelqu'un frappe").
- Object: the part of the sentence receiving the action (e.g., "personne" in "Je ne vois personne").
Final tips and comparisons with English
- Many French indefinite pronouns match English ones directly: quelqu'un = someone, quelque chose = something, personne = no one, rien = nothing, chacun = each/each one, tout le monde = everyone.
- Remember verb agreement: most are singular (quelqu'un, chacun, tout le monde) while some are plural (plusieurs, quelques-uns).
- Use "de" before adjectives that immediately follow indefinite pronouns: "quelqu'un de sympathique", "rien d'important", "quelque chose d'étrange." This is a very common source of errors.
- In writing and formal speech keep the negative particle "ne": "Je ne vois personne." In speech you will frequently hear it dropped, but avoid that in exams and formal texts.
Examples in context:
- "Il y a quelqu'un au téléphone; je te le passe." (There is someone on the phone; I'll put them through.)
- "Je ne connais personne d'intéressant dans cette ville." (I don't know anyone interesting in this town.)
- "Chacun des participants a reçu un diplôme." (Each of the participants received a diploma.)
- "Quelque chose d'étrange s'est produit hier soir." (Something strange happened last night.)
Use this guide as a reference: focus first on the meaning (someone/something/no one/each/anyone/everyone), then check: verb agreement (singular vs plural), position of "ne" for negatives, and the "de + adjective" rule when adjectives follow the pronoun.