Adjectifs et pronoms indéfinis (Indefinite adjectives and pronouns)

Indefinite adjective

a) Chaque and plusieurs

chaque(each) is always singular, plusieurs(several) is always plural; feminine and masculine form are same

-j'y vais chaque jour(I go there every day)
-chaque personne(each person)
-plusieurs années(several years)
-il a plusieurs amis(he's got several friends)

b) Autre, même and quelque

autre(other), même(same) and quelque(some) agree in number with the noun that follows, feminine and masculine form are same

-je voudrais un autre café(I would like another coffee)
-d'autres couleurs(other colours)
-la même taille(the same size)
-les mêmes touristes(the same touristes)
-quelque temps après(some time later/ After some time)
-à quelques kilomètres(a few kilometers/ a few kilometers away)

Note: même has a different meaning when placed after noun(Position des adjectifs (Position of adjectives))

b) Certian, tel and tout

certain(certain, some), tel(such) and tout(all) agrees in the number nad gender with the noun, they have 4 rspective forms

-un certain charme(a certain charm)
-une certaine dame(a certain lady)
-à certains moments(at certain moments/times)
-certaines personnes(come people)
-un tel homme(such a man)
-une telle aventure(such an adventure)
-de tels avantages(such advantages)
-de telles difficultés(such difficulties)
-quoi! tu as mangé tout le fromage et tous les fruits?(what! you have eaten all the cheese and all the fruits?/what! did you eat all the cheese and all the fruit?)
-tout la jourée(all day long)
-toutes mes matières(all my subjects)

Note

• tel the position of the article un/une with tel is not the same as in English(un tel homme = such a man)

• tel cannot qualify another adjective; when it is used as an adverb, 'such' is translated by si or tellement(so)

    c'était un si bon repas/un repas tellement bon!(it was such a good meal!)
  

• tous les/toutes les are often translated by 'every':

    tous les jour(every day)
    toutes les places(all seats, every seat)
  

Indefinite pronouns

-pas celui-là, l'autre(not that one, the other one)
-où sont les autres?(where are the others?)
-certains disent que...(some say that)
-personne n'est venu(no one came)
-qui est là ? --personne(who's there ? -- nobody)
-qu'as-tu? --rien(what do you have/what is wrong with you? -- nothing)
-plusieur d'entre eux(several of them)
-chacun pour soi!(everyone for themselves!)
-il manque quelque chose ? (he is missing anything ?)
-dis quelque chose !(say something !)
-quelqu'un l'a averti(someone warned him)
-il y a quelqu'un ?(is anyone in?)
-j'ai tout oublié(I have forgotten everything)
-c'est tout, merci(that is all, thanks)
-elles sont toutes arrivées(they all arrived)
allons-y tous ensemble(let's all go together)

Points to note

• aucun(e), personne and rien can be used on their own, but they are more often used with a verb and the negative word ne(future)

    -personne n'habite ici(no one live here)
    -il n'y a rien à manger(there is nothing to eat)
  

• when aucun(e), un(e) autre, d'autres, certain(e)s, plusieurs and quelques-un(e)s are used as direct objects, the pronouns en must be used before verb

    -je n'en ai lu aucun(I have not read any(of them))
    -donne-m'en une autre(give me another one)
    -j'en ai vu d'autres qui étaient moins chers(I saw other ones which were cheaper)
    -j'en connais certains(I know some of them)
    -il y en a plusieurs(there are several)
    -tu m'en donnes quelques-uns ?(can you give me some?)
    -achètes-en quelques-unes(buy a few/ buy some)
  

• when personne, quelque chose, rein, plusieurs are followed by an adjective, the preposition de(d') must be used in front of hte adjective

    -il n'y a personne de libre(there is no one available/ there is no one free)
    -quelque chose de mieux(something better)
    -il y en avait plusieurs de cassés(there were several broken ones)
    -rien de grave(nothing serious)
  

• autre is commonly used in hte following expressions

    -quelqu'un d'autre(someone else)
    -quelque chose d'autre(something else)
    -rien d'autre(nothing else)
  

On

• Can mean one/you/they/people in a general sense

    -en France, on roule à droite(in France, they drive on the right)
    -on ne sait jamais(you/one never know(s))
    -on ne doit pas mentir(you should not lie)
  

• someone (an undefined person)

    -on me l'a déjà dit(someone's already told me/ I've already been told)
    -on vous l'appoertera(it will be brought to you)
  

• on is usually used for nous(we), although it refers to a plural subject, it is followed by third person singular

    -qu'est-ce qu'on fait?(what are we doing?/ what do we do?/what shall we do?)
    -fais vite, on t'attend!(hurry up! we are waiting for you!)
  

Note: in compound tenses with the auxiliary être, the agreement of the past participle with on is optional

-on est allé au cinéma/ on est allés au cinéma(we went to the cinema)
-on est rentré en taxi/ on est rentées en taxi(we came back by taxi/ we returned back by taxi)