Grammar / B1 : Intermediate / Indefinite pronouns and adjectives
B1Intermediate
Indefinite pronouns and adjectives
quelqu'un, personne, rien, tout, chaque, certain, n'importe...
1. Two Tools, One Job
French uses two related categories to refer to people or things in a vague or general way:
- An indefinite adjective accompanies a noun: chaque étudiant, plusieurs personnes.
- An indefinite pronoun replaces a noun entirely: chacun, plusieurs.
Many forms exist in both categories and carry the same core meaning. The difference is purely grammatical: adjectives modify, pronouns replace.
Chaque élève a reçu un livre. (Each student received a book.) (adjective)
Chacun a reçu un livre. (Each one received a book.) (pronoun)
Chacun a reçu un livre. (Each one received a book.) (pronoun)
2. Overview Table
Here is the full B1 inventory, grouped by the idea they express.
| Idea | Adjective form | Pronoun form | English equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Totality | chaque, tout/toute/tous/toutes | chacun/chacune, tout, tous/toutes | each, every, all |
| Plurality (unspecified) | plusieurs, quelques | plusieurs, quelques-uns/quelques-unes | several, a few |
| Indefinite identity | certain(e)(s), quelque(s) | certain(e)s, quelqu'un, quelque chose | certain, someone, something |
| Negation | aucun/aucune, nul/nulle | aucun/aucune, personne, rien | no, none, nobody, nothing |
| Alternation / choice | autre(s), tel(s)/telle(s) | l'un/l'une, l'autre, les uns/les autres, autrui | one, the other, others |
3. Totality: chaque, tout, chacun
chaque (adjective only) / chacun, chacune (pronouns)
Chaque is always singular and always precedes a noun. Its pronoun equivalent chacun (masculine) / chacune (feminine) refers to individuals within a group.
| Form | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| chaque (adj.) | Chaque réponse compte. | Each answer counts. |
| chacun (pro.) | Chacun a ses habitudes. | Everyone has their habits. |
| chacune (pro.) | Chacune des étudiantes a réussi. | Each of the female students passed. |
Tip: After chacun/chacune, use son/sa/ses in formal French, not leur: Chacun doit apporter son matériel. (Each person must bring their own materials.) In informal speech, leur is heard but is avoided in written French.
tout / toute / tous / toutes
This group covers both the adjective and pronoun uses. As an adjective it means "every" or "all"; as a pronoun it means "everything" or "all of them".
| Use | Form | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adj. + singular noun | tout / toute | Tout le monde est là. | Everyone is here. |
| Adj. + plural noun | tous / toutes | Toutes les portes sont fermées. | All the doors are closed. |
| Pronoun (things) | tout | J'ai tout compris. | I understood everything. |
| Pronoun (people/things) | tous / toutes | Elles sont toutes arrivées. | They all arrived. |
Pronunciation trap: The adjective tous has a silent -s: tous les jours [tu le ʒuʁ]. The pronoun tous has a pronounced -s: Ils sont tous là [il sɔ̃ tus la]. This is one of the most common spoken errors at B1.
4. Plurality: plusieurs, quelques, quelques-uns
| Form | Type | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| plusieurs | Adj. and pronoun (invariable) | J'ai lu plusieurs articles. / J'en ai lu plusieurs. | I read several articles. / I read several of them. |
| quelques | Adjective only (plural) | Il reste quelques places. | There are a few seats left. |
| quelques-uns | Pronoun (masc.) | Quelques-uns ont refusé. | A few (of them) refused. |
| quelques-unes | Pronoun (fem.) | Quelques-unes sont encore disponibles. | A few (of them) are still available. |
Note: plusieurs does not change form for gender or number. quelques-uns / quelques-unes agree in gender only (always plural).
5. Indefinite Identity: quelqu'un, quelque chose, certains
quelqu'un / quelque chose
These pronouns refer to an unidentified person or thing. They are always singular and do not change form.
| Pronoun | Refers to | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| quelqu'un | A person (gender-neutral) | Quelqu'un a appelé ce matin. | Someone called this morning. |
| quelque chose | A thing | Il y a quelque chose d'étrange. | There is something strange. |
Structure to know: When an adjective follows quelqu'un or quelque chose, it is always preceded by de and stays in its masculine singular form:
quelqu'un de gentil (someone kind), quelque chose de bizarre (something strange)
Never: *quelqu'un gentil / *quelque chose bizarre
quelqu'un de gentil (someone kind), quelque chose de bizarre (something strange)
Never: *quelqu'un gentil / *quelque chose bizarre
certain(e)(s)
As an adjective, certain(e)(s) always comes before the noun and agrees in gender and number. As a pronoun, it replaces the whole noun phrase.
| Form | Type | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| certains livres | Adjective (masc. pl.) | Certains livres sont épuisés. | Certain books are out of stock. |
| certaines idées | Adjective (fem. pl.) | Certaines idées méritent réflexion. | Certain ideas deserve consideration. |
| certains | Pronoun (masc.) | Certains pensent que c'est inutile. | Some (people) think it is pointless. |
| certaines | Pronoun (fem.) | Certaines n'étaient pas d'accord. | Some (women/things) disagreed. |
6. Negation: aucun, personne, rien
These forms are always used with a negative construction. They replace or accompany ne to express total absence.
| Form | Type | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| aucun / aucune | Adj. and pronoun | Aucun élève n'a échoué. / Aucune n'a répondu. | No student failed. / None replied. |
| personne | Pronoun only | Personne ne sait. / Je ne vois personne. | Nobody knows. / I see nobody. |
| rien | Pronoun only | Rien n'est simple. / Je n'entends rien. | Nothing is simple. / I hear nothing. |
Position in compound tenses: rien and aucun as objects come between the auxiliary and the past participle:
Je n'ai rien compris. (I understood nothing.)
Il n'a trouvé aucune solution. (He found no solution.)
Personne and rien as subjects always come before the auxiliary:
Personne n'a appelé. (Nobody called.) Rien n'a changé. (Nothing changed.)
Je n'ai rien compris. (I understood nothing.)
Il n'a trouvé aucune solution. (He found no solution.)
Personne and rien as subjects always come before the auxiliary:
Personne n'a appelé. (Nobody called.) Rien n'a changé. (Nothing changed.)
Adjective or adverb with de: Just like quelque chose, rien and personne also use de + masculine adjective:
rien de spécial (nothing special), personne de qualifié (nobody qualified)
rien de spécial (nothing special), personne de qualifié (nobody qualified)
7. Alternation and Contrast: l'un...l'autre, les uns...les autres
These constructions express a relationship between two elements or two groups.
| Construction | Meaning | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| l'un... l'autre | One... the other (two items) | L'un aime la ville, l'autre préfère la campagne. | One likes the city, the other prefers the countryside. |
| les uns... les autres | Some... others (groups) | Les uns travaillaient, les autres se reposaient. | Some were working, others were resting. |
| l'un et l'autre | Both | L'un et l'autre sont acceptables. | Both are acceptable. |
| ni l'un ni l'autre | Neither | Ni l'un ni l'autre ne convient. | Neither one is suitable. |
| l'un l'autre | Each other (reciprocal) | Ils se respectent l'un l'autre. | They respect each other. |
Gender agreement: These forms agree with the nouns they refer to. If the referent is feminine, use l'une... l'autre, les unes... les autres, etc.
8. autre(s) and tel(s)/telle(s)
autre(s)
Autre as an adjective always requires a determiner. As a pronoun it takes the definite article.
| Form | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| un autre / une autre (adj.) | Je voudrais un autre café. | I would like another coffee. |
| d'autres (adj., plural) | Il a d'autres projets. | He has other projects. |
| l'autre (pronoun) | Tu prends celui-ci ou l'autre ? | Are you taking this one or the other? |
| les autres (pronoun) | Les autres ne sont pas encore arrivés. | The others haven't arrived yet. |
| d'autres (pronoun) | J'en ai d'autres si tu veux. | I have others if you want. |
tel / telle / tels / telles
Tel expresses identity or comparison ("such a", "like"). It agrees in gender and number.
| Form | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| tel(le) (adj., after article) | Une telle décision est risquée. | Such a decision is risky. |
| tel(le) (adj., before noun) | Tel père, tel fils. | Like father, like son. |
| tel(le)(s) (pronoun) | Tel est mon avis. | Such is my opinion. |
| tel(le) que | Des villes telles que Lyon ou Bordeaux. | Cities such as Lyon or Bordeaux. |
DELF tip: Tel quel / telle quelle means "as it is / as they are" and appears frequently in formal writing and instructions: Laissez le document tel quel. (Leave the document as it is.)
9. Register Comparison
| Concept | Informal / spoken | Formal / written |
|---|---|---|
| Referring to an unspecified person | quelqu'un, on | certains, quiconque, nul |
| "Nobody" | personne | nul ne..., aucun(e) ne... |
| "Some people think..." | certains pensent, des gens pensent | d'aucuns estiment, certains considèrent |
| "Each person" | chacun, tout le monde | chacun, quiconque |
| "Others" | les autres | autrui, d'autres |
Note on autrui: This literary pronoun means "other people" in a philosophical or moral sense. It is rarely used in speech but appears in formal texts and DELF reading passages: Ne fais pas à autrui ce que tu ne veux pas qu'on te fasse. (Do not do to others what you would not want done to you.)
Lesson Summary
- Indefinite adjectives accompany a noun; indefinite pronouns replace one. Many words exist in both categories.
- Totality: chaque (adj., always singular) / chacun, chacune (pro.); tout/toute/tous/toutes (adj. and pro.).
- Pronunciation: the adjective tous has a silent -s; the pronoun tous has a pronounced -s.
- Plurality: plusieurs (invariable, adj. and pro.); quelques (adj. only) / quelques-uns / quelques-unes (pro.).
- Indefinite identity: quelqu'un, quelque chose (pronouns) + adjective always with de in masculine singular; certain(e)(s) (adj. and pro.).
- Negation: aucun/aucune, personne, rien always paired with ne; position varies in compound tenses.
- Alternation: l'un... l'autre, les uns... les autres for contrasting two elements or groups; l'un l'autre for reciprocal actions.
- tel(le)(s) expresses resemblance or exemplification; tel quel means "as it is".
- Higher register uses autrui, nul, quiconque, d'aucuns in place of more common forms.