These are used: (i) to quantify imprecisely persons, places or things (‘some’,
‘a few’, ‘several’, ‘enough’, ‘many’), (ii) to distinguish one item from another
(‘a certain’, ‘such a’, ‘other’), or (iii) to relate one item to another (‘both’,
‘each’ and ‘the rest’).
Care needs to be taken to ensure that Spanish indefinite adjectives and
pronouns are used in the correct variable (for number and gender) or
invariable forms.Algo
Algo(invariable) is used as a pronoun (referring only to things) and as an
adverb.9.1
1111
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1011
1
12111
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
20111
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
30111
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
40
84 41111
Chapter 9
Indefinite adjectives,
pronouns and adverbs
Indefinite pronouns with reference to persons
When used as pronouns, many of the indefinite forms discussed in
this chapter are assumed to refer to persons unless some other item
is specified: Muchos lo han intentado pero pocos lo han conseguido
‘Many people have tried but few have actually done it’,
Algunos/Otros piensan así ‘Some/Other people think that’.Used in this way the plural forms of the indefinites are sometimes
used with 1st or 2nd person plural verbs, to convey ideas such as
‘many of us’, ‘all of you’: Muchos teníamos miedo ‘Many of us were
frightened’, ¿Todos estáis de acuerdo? ‘Do you all agree?’
An indefinite pronoun referring to a person requires the personal a
if used as the direct object of a verb (see 21.1.1.2).