Understanding French Indefinite Adjectives
French indefinite adjectives express indefinite quantity, quality, or identity. They modify nouns without specifying exact amounts or specific items.
Main indefinite adjectives:
- quelque(s): some, a few
- chaque: each, every
- tout/toute/tous/toutes: all, every, whole
- autre(s): other, another
- plusieurs: several
- certain(s)/certaine(s): certain, some
Key characteristics:
- Agreement: Most agree in gender and number with the noun
- Position: Usually placed before the noun
- Meaning: Express vague or indefinite concepts
- Usage: Essential for expressing approximation and generalization
These adjectives are crucial for natural French expression and avoiding overly specific language.
Examples
Quelques personnes sont arrivées. (Some people arrived.)
Indefinite quantity - not specifying exactly how many
Chaque enfant a un cadeau. (Each child has a gift.)
Distributive meaning - every single one individually
Tout le travail est fini. (All the work is finished.)
Totality - the complete amount
QUELQUE(S) - Some, A Few
QUELQUE expresses an indefinite small quantity:
Quelque Agreement Forms
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine singular | quelque | quelque temps (some time) |
| Feminine singular | quelque | quelque chose (something) |
| Masculine plural | quelques | quelques amis (some friends) |
| Feminine plural | quelques | quelques idées (some ideas) |
Examples
J'ai quelques questions. (I have some questions.)
Il reste quelque temps. (There's some time left.)
Quelques étudiants sont absents. (Some students are absent.)
Elle a quelque difficulté. (She has some difficulty.)
Singular QUELQUE
Used with uncountable or abstract nouns:
Il a quelque talent. (He has some talent.)
avec quelque difficulté (with some difficulty)
Plural QUELQUES
Used with countable nouns (most common):
Quelques minutes plus tard... (A few minutes later...)
J'ai acheté quelques livres. (I bought some books.)
CHAQUE - Each, Every
CHAQUE is invariable and expresses distributive meaning:
Examples
Chaque étudiant a réussi. (Each student succeeded.)
Chaque fois que je viens... (Each time I come...)
Chaque jour, il court. (Every day, he runs.)
Chaque personne est unique. (Each person is unique.)
Invariable Form
CHAQUE never changes form:
chaque homme, chaque femme, chaque enfant
Always the same form regardless of gender
Distributive Meaning
Emphasizes individual items in a group:
Chaque élève a son livre. (Each student has his/her book.)
Focus on individual possession, not group
Common Expressions
Frequent phrases with CHAQUE:
chaque fois (each time), chaque jour (every day)
chaque année (every year), chaque mois (every month)
TOUT/TOUTE/TOUS/TOUTES - All, Every, Whole
TOUT agrees in gender and number and expresses totality:
Tout Agreement Forms
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine singular | tout | tout le monde (everyone) |
| Feminine singular | toute | toute la journée (all day) |
| Masculine plural | tous | tous les jours (every day) |
| Feminine plural | toutes | toutes les femmes (all women) |
Examples
Tout le monde est là. (Everyone is there.)
Toute la classe écoute. (The whole class is listening.)
Tous les étudiants travaillent. (All students work.)
Toutes les voitures sont rouges. (All cars are red.)
TOUT + Definite Article
Most common pattern with le/la/les:
tout le temps (all the time)
toute la nuit (all night)
TOUS/TOUTES LES + Plural
Expressing "every" with plural nouns:
tous les jours (every day)
toutes les semaines (every week)
Fixed Expressions
Common phrases with TOUT:
tout le monde (everyone), tout à fait (completely)
tout de suite (right away), tout à l'heure (later)
AUTRE(S) - Other, Another
AUTRE agrees in number and expresses difference or addition:
Examples
J'ai une autre idée. (I have another idea.)
Les autres étudiants sont partis. (The other students left.)
Donnez-moi d'autres exemples. (Give me other examples.)
C'est une autre histoire. (That's another story.)
UN(E) AUTRE - Another
Singular form meaning "another":
Je veux un autre café. (I want another coffee.)
Elle a une autre voiture. (She has another car.)
LES AUTRES - The Others
Plural form meaning "the others":
Où sont les autres? (Where are the others?)
Les autres livres sont là. (The other books are there.)
D'AUTRES - Other (Some)
Partitive form meaning "other/some other":
Il y a d'autres solutions. (There are other solutions.)
J'ai d'autres questions. (I have other questions.)
PLUSIEURS - Several
PLUSIEURS is invariable and means several:
Examples
Plusieurs personnes sont venues. (Several people came.)
J'ai lu plusieurs livres. (I read several books.)
Il a plusieurs voitures. (He has several cars.)
Plusieurs fois par jour... (Several times a day...)
Invariable Form
PLUSIEURS never changes:
plusieurs hommes, plusieurs femmes
Same form for all genders and contexts
Meaning Range
Usually means 3-10 items:
J'ai attendu plusieurs heures. (I waited several hours.)
More than "quelques" but not "beaucoup"
CERTAIN(S)/CERTAINE(S) - Certain, Some
CERTAIN agrees and means certain/some (indefinite):
Certain Agreement Forms
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine singular | certain | un certain temps (a certain time) |
| Feminine singular | certaine | une certaine idée (a certain idea) |
| Masculine plural | certains | certains étudiants (some students) |
| Feminine plural | certaines | certaines personnes (some people) |
Examples
Certaines personnes pensent que... (Some people think that...)
Il a un certain charme. (He has a certain charm.)
Indefinite Usage
When meaning "some" (plural):
Certains étudiants sont absents. (Some students are absent.)
More formal than "quelques"
Specific but Vague Usage
When meaning "a certain" (singular):
Il y a une certaine logique. (There's a certain logic.)
Suggests something specific but undefined
Position and Word Order
Indefinite adjectives usually come before the noun:
Examples
quelques amis, chaque jour, tout le monde
Standard position before the noun
plusieurs fois, certaines personnes, d'autres idées
Consistent pre-noun placement
With Other Adjectives
Order when combined with other adjectives:
quelques belles voitures (some beautiful cars)
Indefinite + descriptive adjective
Indefinite Adjectives vs Pronouns
Same words can function as adjectives or pronouns:
Adjective vs Pronoun Usage
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Adjective | quelques livres | modifies noun "livres" |
| Pronoun | quelques-uns | replaces noun entirely |
| Adjective | tous les étudiants | modifies noun "étudiants" |
| Pronoun | tous | replaces noun entirely |
Examples
J'ai quelques livres. → J'en ai quelques-uns. (I have some books. → I have some.)
Adjective becomes pronoun with -uns/-unes
Common Expressions and Idioms
Fixed expressions with indefinite adjectives:
Examples
tout le monde (everyone), tout à fait (completely)
chaque fois (each time), d'autres part (on the other hand)
quelque chose (something), quelque part (somewhere)
certains disent (some say), plusieurs fois (several times)
Common Mistakes with Indefinite Adjectives
Here are frequent errors students make:
1. Agreement errors: Wrong gender/number agreement
2. Confusing adjectives and pronouns: Using wrong forms
3. Position mistakes: Placing after noun instead of before
4. Overuse: Using when more specific terms would be better
Examples
❌ quelque personnes → ✅ quelques personnes
Wrong: plural noun needs plural adjective
❌ tous le monde → ✅ tout le monde
Wrong: singular "monde" needs singular "tout"
❌ personnes quelques → ✅ quelques personnes
Wrong: indefinite adjectives come before noun
❌ chaques étudiants → ✅ chaque étudiant
Wrong: "chaque" is invariable and takes singular noun