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French Indefinite Words
French everyday indefinites come in pairs: an adjective form before a noun and a pronoun form that stands alone. Before a noun you say chaque and quelques; take the noun away and they become chacun/chacune and quelques-uns/quelques-unes:
Chaque billet est numéroté.
Chacun est numéroté.
Add quelqu’un (someone), quelque chose (something), plusieurs (several) and the n’importe series, and you can name unspecified people and things. The tout family has its own page; the negative indefinites aucun, personne and rien live under advanced negation.
In short
- Before a noun: chaque + singular (chaque jour), quelques + plural (quelques jours), plusieurs, certains.
- Standing alone: chacun / chacune, quelques-uns / quelques-unes, plusieurs, certains.
- Quelqu’un = someone, quelque chose = something; adjectives attach with de and stay masculine: quelqu’un de sympa.
- N’importe + question word = "any-": n’importe qui (anyone), n’importe quoi (anything).
adjective before a nounpronoun standing alone (and its de-frame)n’importe series· hover a highlighted word for its label
Chaque before a noun, chacun alone
Chaque means "each, every" and is invariable: no plural, no feminine, and the noun after it is always singular. Alone it becomes chacun (masculine) / chacune (feminine) — "each one" — always with a singular verb.
Each student receives a badge.
— Chaque is invariable and only stands before a singular noun.
Each one received a personal answer.
— Standing alone Chacun takes a singular verb — never ont.
Quelques before a noun, quelques-uns alone
Quelques + plural noun means "a few". Alone it grows an ending and agrees: quelques-uns, feminine quelques-unes — "a few of them".
I still have a few questions about the contract.
— quelques before a plural noun means "a few".
A few of them are really difficult.
— The pronoun Quelques-unes agrees with feminine questions.
Quelqu’un and quelque chose
Quelqu’un ("someone") never changes form — a woman is still quelqu’un. Quelque chose ("something") is grammatically masculine. Both attach an adjective with de, in the masculine:
Elle a rencontré quelqu’un de sympa. Il y a quelque chose de nouveau.
The same de-frame returns with the negatives: rien de nouveau, personne d’intéressant.
We are looking for someone patient for this position.
— After quelqu’un the adjective needs de — and stays masculine.
Plusieurs, certains, d’autres
Plusieurs ("several") is invariable and does both jobs — adjective before a noun and pronoun alone:
Plusieurs trains ont du retard.
Elle a posé dix questions ; plusieurs sont restées sans réponse.
Certains / certaines ("some, some of them") works both ways and does agree; d’autres means "others":
Certains préfèrent le train, d’autres l’avion.
N’importe qui, quoi, quel, où, quand
Put n’importe before a question word to get the "any- at all" series. Only n’importe quel is an adjective and agrees with its noun (quel, quelle, quels, quelles).
| Form | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| n’importe qui | anyone | N’importe qui peut s’inscrire. |
| n’importe quoi | anything / nonsense | Il dit n’importe quoi. |
| n’importe quel(le) + noun | any … at all | à n’importe quelle heure |
| n’importe où | anywhere | Assieds-toi n’importe où. |
| n’importe quand | anytime | Appelle-moi n’importe quand. |
You can change your ticket at any time.
— Only n’importe quel agrees with its noun.
Common mistakes
✗Le professeur corrige chaques copies.
✓Le professeur corrige chaque copie.
Chaque has no plural — it is invariable and always followed by a singular noun.
✗Chacune ont signé le registre.
✓Chacune a signé le registre.
Chacun and chacune mean "each one" and are grammatically singular, so the verb always is too.
✗J’ai appris quelque chose de nouvelle.
✓J’ai appris quelque chose de nouveau.
Quelque chose is masculine, so the adjective after de stays masculine.
Check yourself
1 / 3___ participant reçoit un certificat.
2 / 3J’ai relu quelques articles ; ___ sont excellents.
3 / 3Ne l’écoute pas, il dit ___.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between chaque and chacun?
Chaque is an adjective and needs a singular noun after it: chaque jour. Chacun (feminine chacune) is the matching pronoun and stands alone: chacun a reçu une réponse. Both take a singular verb.
Is quelque chose masculine or feminine?
Grammatically masculine, even though chose is feminine. An adjective attached with de stays masculine: quelque chose de nouveau. The same de + masculine-adjective pattern follows quelqu’un and rien.
What does n’importe quoi mean?
Literally "anything (at all)": tu peux commander n’importe quoi. In everyday speech it is also the standard word for "nonsense": c’est n’importe quoi !
Memory tip
One question picks the form: is there a noun right after? Yes → chaque, quelques, n’importe quel. No → chacun, quelques-uns, plusieurs. And quelqu’un / quelque chose attach adjectives with de, always masculine.
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