Indefinite Pronouns
This article will explore indefinite pronouns, the difference between indefinite pronouns and
indefinite adjectives, and the usage of these pronouns in sentences. Study the following sections
well because these words are very important for general language learning, and particularly for
your exams.
Indefinite Pronouns vs Indefinite Adjectives
Indefinite pronouns are easily confused with indefinite adjectives. What is the difference? An
adjective is used with a noun (e.g. Chaque pomme est différente), whereas a pronoun replaces a
noun (e.g. Chacune est différente).
Because they replace nouns, indefinite pronouns do not specify exactly what they are referring
to. The meaning is taken from the context of the conversation. For example, if someone said to
you ‘Many were sweet’, you would not know what the sweet thing was. However, if they said to
you ‘I bought a bag of apples and many were sweet’, you would understand that ‘many’ was
referring to the apples.
I.
The Pronouns
There are many different indefinite pronouns, some of which are shown below. As you will
notice, these words have very general meanings. As discussed above, we cannot be certain
what, for example, the words ‘something’ or ‘many’ refer to without knowing the subject of
conversation.
A lot of the pronouns listed in this article may be familiar to you. When you know how to use
them appropriately, they can prove very useful in sentences and can help you avoid word
repetition in exam papers and speaking assessments.
Indefinite
English Meaning
Pronoun
Chacun(e)
Each one/Everyone
Plusieurs
Several/Many
On
One/You/We/They/‘People’
(general meaning)
Tout le monde
Everyone/Everybody –
NOT all the world!
Tout
All/Every
Quelqu’un
Someone/Somebody
Quelque chose
Something
Personne (ne)
No one
Rien (ne)
Nothing
II.
Examples in Sentences
1. Chacun(e)
E.g.
 Chacun doit se reposer de temps en temps.
Everybody has to rest from time to time.
 J’adore ces maisons. Chacune est belle.
I love these houses. Each one is beautiful.
2. Plusieurs
E.g.
 ‘Combien de fourchettes est-ce que tu as?’ ‘J’en ai plusieurs.’
‘How many forks do you have?’ ‘I have several (of them).’
On
E.g.
 On me dit toujours que je suis belle.
People always tell me that I am beautiful.
Tout le monde
E.g.
 Tout le monde connait ces histoires.
Everyone knows these stories.
3. Tout
E.g.
 Tout est préparé.
Everything is prepared.
4. Quelqu’un
E.g.
 Il y a quelqu’un ?
Is someone there?
5. Quelque chose
E.g.
 Est-ce que vous feriez quelque chose pour moi ?
Would you do something for me?
6. Indefinite Pronouns with Negatives
The indefinite pronouns below can be followed by ‘ne’, as shown in the examples. This gives the
same meaning as regular sentences with negatives. For example ‘personne ne…’ means the same
thing as ‘ne…personne’. The only difference is that ‘personne ne…’ is less specific and is often
used at the beginning of the sentence. The same can be said of ‘rien ne…’.
7. Personne (ne)
E.g.
 Personne ne fume ici.
Nobody smokes here.
8. Rien (ne)
E.g.
 Rien ne va changer.
Nothing is going to change.
NB:
Even by comparing the French sentences to their English translations, it is obvious that these
words are very important to know in languages. Therefore, it is essential that you learn them
well and that you can apply them in exams. Learn these pronouns, and then try the multiple
choice questions below.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. What are indefinite pronouns?
a) They are pronouns that change easily.
b) They are pronouns that don’t specify what they are referring to.
c) They are general words that are used when describing nouns.
d) They are unspecific words that are used when describing verbs.
2. What is the difference between indefinite pronouns and indefinite adjectives?
a) There is no difference.
b) Indefinite pronouns replace nouns, whereas indefinite adjectives are used with nouns.
c) Indefinite adjectives replace nouns, whereas indefinite pronouns are used with nouns.
d) Indefinite adjectives and indefinite pronouns can always be used interchangeably.
3. Which of the below is an example of an indefinite pronoun?
a) Chaque
b) Je
c) Chacun
d) Lui
4. Which of the below is NOT an indefinite pronoun?
a) Quelqu’un
b) Quelque chose
c) Tout le monde
d) All of the above are indefinite pronouns
5. What does ‘chacun’ mean?
a) Each one
b) Everyone
c) A and B
d) Each
6. What does ‘tout le monde’ mean?
a) Everyone
b) All the world
c) The whole world
d) B and C
7. Which of the below is an example of an indefinite pronoun that could be found in a
negative sentence?
a) On
b) Rien (ne)
c) Tout
d) Plusieurs
8. What does ‘on’ mean?
a) One
b) You
c) We
d) All of the above
9. What does ‘Personne ne va m’aider’ mean?
a) Nobody is going to help me.
b) People are going to help me.
c) There is nobody to help me.
d) None will help me.
10. What does ‘quelqu’un’ mean?
a) Someone
b) No one
c) Something
d) A and B
Answers:
1. B
2. B
3. C
4. D
5. C
6. A
7. B
8. D
9. A
10. A