An Easy Guide to Indefinite Pronouns in Spanish
Click to learn about indefinite pronouns in Spanish. We look at what they are, and how to use the main ones, with examples in context!
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What is a pronoun?What makes an indefinite pronoun?What about indefinite adjectives?QuizThere are lots of different types of pronoun in Spanish. Indefinite is just one type. In this article we look at the main ones and show you some examples of them in use.
What is a pronoun?
A pronoun is a word that can be used to replace a noun. For example, the following sentence is pretty boring and unnatural:
“Lucy went to the shop because Lucy had run out of fruit for Lucy’s apartment.”
When we use she as a pronoun and her as a possessive determiner, things look a lot better:
“Lucy went to the shop because she had run out of fruit for her apartment.”
What makes an indefinite pronoun?
Indefinite pronouns do not identify their referents as specifically as a name or a definite expression does. They can refer to an unspecified person, thing, or quantity; the person or thing need not be entirely unknown.
What about indefinite adjectives?
Some of these words can also be adverbs. In No llores tanto (“Don’t cry so much”), tanto modifies the verb; it is not a pronoun. Bastante can mean “enough” or “quite a lot,” depending on context. Ninguno/ninguna normally stays singular; plural forms occur in limited contexts, such as ningunas gafas.
A lot of the time in Spanish, pronouns and adjectives have some sneaky overlapping areas. We’re going to focus on words which we’ll call indefinite pronouns, but bear in mind that those same words can also be used with nouns, which turns them into indefinite adjectives. For example:
Sometimes we use pronouns as adjectives, and sometimes we use adjectives as pronouns. The difference can be extremely subtle, so don’t worry too much about getting it exactly right every time! Even within this article you might spot some overlaps.
Algo = something, anything
- Tengo que hacer algo.I have to do something.
- ¿Quieres algo para comer?Do you want anything to eat?
- Quiero comer algo pero no sé qué.I want to eat something but I don’t know what.
Nada = nothing, not anything
- No he hecho nada.I haven’t done anything.
- No quiero comer nada.I don’t want to eat anything.
- No hay nada que puedas hacer para compensar.There isn’t anything you can do to redeem yourself.
Alguien= somebody, anybody
- Quiero alguien que me quiera.I want somebody who loves me.
- Alguien está en la casa.Someone is in the house.
- ¿Hay alguien aquí que sepa realizar RCP?Is there anybody here who knows how to perform CPR?
Nadie = nobody
- Nadie sabe cocinar como tú.Nobody knows how to cook like you.
- No vino nadie a la fiesta.No one came to the party.
- No hay nadie en la casa.There is nobody in the house.
Alguno/a/os/as = some, one (or more)
Ninguno/a/os/as = none, not any, nobody
Mucho/a/os/as = much, many, a lot
Sí, mucha.
Yes, a lot.
Poco/a/os/as = little, a little, few, a few
- Es un poco caro.It’s a bit expensive.
- Me quedan pocas.I don’t have many left.
- Es poco.It’s little/not much.
Bastante(s) = enough
Tengo bastantes.
I have enough.
*Note the similarity between the word ‘bastante‘ and the word ‘basta.’
Demasiado/a/os/as = too much, too many
Uno/a/os/as = one, some
- Unos dicen que lo más importante es la felicidad. Otros dicen que lo más importante es el dinero.Some say that the most important thing is happiness. Others say that the most important thing is money.
- Gracias. Te debo una.Thank you. I owe you one.
- Queda uno.There is one left.
Tanto = so much, as much
Todo/a/os/as = everything, all
- Parece que ella lo tiene todo, pero tiene problemas personales.It seems like she has it all, but she does have personal problems.
- Los he leído todos.I’ve read them all.
- Te amo y te puedo dar todo.I love you and I can give you everything.
Cada uno/cada una = each one
Varios/as = a few, some, several
Otro/a/os/as = another one, other one, some other(s)
- Pásame el otro.Pass me the other one.
- Unos cantan. Otros bailan. Yo no hago nada.Some sing. Others dance. I don’t do anything.
- Quisiera otra.I’d like another one.
Cualquiera/cualesquiera* = any, any one, anybody
- Cualquiera puede solicitar este puesto de trabajo.Anybody can apply for this job.
- ¿Cuál de los libros quieres?
No importa. Cualquiera, por favor.Which of the books do you want?
It doesn’t matter. Any, please. - Cualesquiera* que sean sus excusas, su comportamiento fue inaceptable.Whatever his excuses may be, his behaviour was unacceptable.
*This plural form is rare these days!
Los/las demás = the others, the rest
Quiz
Time for a few quiz questions! For each example, try to choose the most appropriate indefinite pronoun.
1. Yo no tengo _ que decirte. (I’ve got nothing to say to you.)
a. nadie
b. nada
c. ninguno
Click to reveal the correct answer:
B. nada
2. _ nos podrá ayudar. (Somebody will be able to help us.)
a. Alguien
b. Cualesquiera
c. Unos
Click to reveal the correct answer:
a. Alguien
3. Detenga el video. He visto _. (Stop the video. I’ve seen enough.)
a. poco
b. bastante
Click to reveal the correct answer:
b. bastante
4. Hay _ ahí sobre la mesa. Pásame _, por favor. (There are some over there on the table. Could you please pass me one?)
a. uno, alguna
b. unas, alguno
c. algunas, una
Click to reveal the correct answer:
c. algunas, una
5. _ estarán en la otra aula. (The others will be in the other classroom.)
a. Los demás
b. Demasiados
c. Unos
Click to reveal the correct answer:
a. Los demás
Great job!
It can be tricky to get your head around the idea of a pronoun referring to an undefined noun, but hopefully this article has given you some helpful insight. ¡Hasta la próxima!
