Spanish: An Essential Grammar

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As a pronoun it usually means ‘something’, or ‘anything’ in questions and
after words such as únicoand poco:
Están tramando algo They are plotting something
sospechoso. suspicious.
¿Quieres algo? Do you want anything?
Era la única que escribió algo. She was the only one who
wrote anything.
As an adverb, before adjectives or another adverb, it means ‘rather’, ‘some-
what’:
La sopa está algo fría. The soup is rather cold.
Están corriendo algo despacio. They are running rather slowly.
Algo de + uncountable noun can be used with the meaning of ‘some’, ‘a
little’:
Necesita algo de sal. It needs a little salt.

Alguien


Alguien(invariable) is a pronoun referring only to persons. It means
‘someone’, or sometimes, in questions, ‘anyone’:
Alguien ha dejado la ventana Someone has left the window
abierta. open.
¿Estás esperando a alguien? Are you waiting for someone?
¿Ha llamado alguien? Has anyone phoned?

Alguno


This can be used as an adjective or as a pronoun referring to persons, places
or things. It varies in number and gender, and is shortened to algún before
singular masculine nouns (see 6.3.1).
Algunousually means ‘some’, ‘a few’ or, in questions, ‘any’. As a pronoun
it may also correspond to English ‘one/some of them’:
En algunas aldeas no hay In some villages there are no
tiendas. shops.
Conozco a algunos (de ellos). I know some (of them).

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