Indefinites are words that express ambiguity in quantity. They can be determiners or pronouns and are categorized into four main groups according to their variability.
Group one - Variable Indefinites
Rule 1. Some indefinites can vary in gender and number, which means that they must agree with the noun they are complementing or replacing.
Some indefinite words in this group include:
| Masculine Singular and Plural | Feminine Singular and Plural | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| alguno, algunos | alguna, algunas | some |
| otro, otros | otra, otras | other |
| mucho, muchos | mucha, muchas | many |
| poco, pocos | poca, pocas | few |
| todo, todos | toda, todas | every |
| cierto, ciertos | cierta, ciertas | certain |
Group two- Just gender
Rule 2. The indefinites of the second group are also variable, but only in gender.
Some examples include:
| Masculine Form | Feminine Form | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| ningún/ninguno | ninguna | none |
| varios | varias | several |
Correct
Incorrect
Group three - Just number
Rule 3. Similarly, the indefinites belonging to this group vary only in number.
One of the words in this group is:
| Plural | Singular | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| bastante | bastantes | plenty |
Group four - Not variable
Rule 4. The indefinites of the last group, as their name indicates, do not vary in gender or number.
Some examples include:
| Indefinite | Translation |
|---|---|
| alguien | someone |
| algo | something |
| nada | nothing |
| nadie | no one |
| cada | each |
Indefinite Words - Form
Indefinite words will vary in form depending on which one is being used and with what function.
Rule 6. For example, indefinite determiners are placed before the noun, and if they are variable, they must agree with the noun's number and/or gender.
Rule 7. If they are being used as pronouns, they must go before the verb. Consider whether they are variable or not so that they agree with the noun they are replacing.
Quiz
1/4_________ personas practican deportes.