Indefinite pronouns refer to unspecified persons or things. Some have no singular form; others have no plural. They can be divided into two groups:
Negative Pronouns
A group of pronouns referring to none:
aucun, aucune (no
one)
nul, nulle (none)
pas un, pas une (not a single one)
personne (no one, nobody)
rien (nothing)
Notes:
These pronouns are usually used with the negative particle ne. The verb in the sentence must be in the singular.
Personne n'a
chanté.
(No one sang.)
Pronouns referring to one or more:
autrui (every fellow human)
chacun, chacune (each one, each person)
le même (the same one)
l'un, les uns (one, some)
l'autre, les autres (some, the others)
n'importe qui (anyone, whatever)
n'importe quoi (anything, whatever)
plus d'un, plus d'une (more than one)
quelqu'un, quelqu'une (someone), quelques-uns,
quelques-unes (some)
qui que (whoever)
quiconque (whosoever)
quoi que (whatever)
tel, telle (such a), tels,
telles (such)
tout, toute (everything, everyone),
tous, toutes (all)
tout le monde (everybody)
Notes:
The correct gender and number agreements must be made where appropriate.
L'autre (voiture) est
belle. Les autres (voitures) sont belles.
(The other [car] is nice.
The other [cars] are nice.) The pronoun certains, certaines (some) is used in the plural form only.
Certains parlent mal de vous.
(Some [people] are saying bad things about you.)
L'un, l'autre are often used in the same sentence to make a distinction between two persons, things, etc.
Les
ouvriers utilisent deux méthodes: l'une est bonne, l'autre
mauvaise.
(The workers are using two methods: one is good, the other is
bad.)
Qui que and quoi que must be followed by the subjunctive verb form.
Quoi que tu
fasses, tu ne réussiras pas.
(Whatever you do, you will not succeed).
Quiconque (whoever) is always masculine singular:
Quiconque est absent ne sera plus
invité.
(Whoever is absent will never be invited again.)
See Also: