Indefinite Determiners For Intermediate learners
What Are Indefinite Determiners (Les déterminants indéfinis) in French?
Indefinite determiners (les déterminants indéfinis) are words that come before a noun and indicate general, non-specific identity, quantity, or part of a group. They are used when the noun is not uniquely identified or when the speaker refers to a general or unspecified set.
Main Groups of Indefinite Determiners
There are three groups of indefinite determiners:
1. Distributive and Totality Determiners
These determiners express distribution (one by one) or totality (the whole group).
Determiner | English |
|---|---|
chaque | each / every |
tout / toute / tous / toutes | all / every / the whole |
Chaque (each / every)
Always singular, even when referring to multiple items
Highlights individual elements in a group
Cannot be plural
Chaque étudiant doit rendre son devoir.
Each student must submit their homework.
Elle lit chaque livre de la bibliothèque.
She reads every book in the library.
Il va à l'école chaque jour.
He goes to school every day.
Tout / Toute / Tous / Toutes (all / every / the whole)
Express totality or entirety
Agrees with the noun in gender and number
Structure is tout + definite article + noun
Tous les élèves ont réussi l'examen.
All the students passed the exam.
Elle a mangé toute la tarte.
She ate the whole pie.
Tout le gâteau est mangé.
The whole cake is eaten.
Toutes les fleurs sont belles.
All the flowers are beautiful.
Tip!
Be careful with agreement:
masc. sing: tout
fem. sing: toute
masc. pl: tous
fem. pl: toutes
2. Determiners Expressing Non-specific Identity or Variety
These determiners indicate which elements, but without precise identification.
Determiner | English |
|---|---|
certain / certains / certaines | some / certain |
n'importe quel / quelle / quels / quelles | any / whichever |
tel / telle / tels / telles | such / like that |
Certain / Certains / Certaines (some / certain)
Indicate a subset of a larger group, usually unspecified.
Agree in gender and number
Certaines personnes aiment le café.
Some people like coffee.
"Certain" often implies selection or distinction, not just quantity.
Il connaît certains élèves de la classe.
He knows some students from the class.
Certains livres sont très anciens.
Some books are very old.
N'importe quel / n'importe quelle / n'importe quels / n'importe quelles (any / whichever)
Express any one / any kind / whichever
Agree in gender and number with the noun
Tu peux choisir n'importe quel livre.
You can choose any book.
N'importe quelle personne peut participer.
Anyone can participate.
Tel / Telle / Tels / Telles (such / that kind of)
Often used to refer to someone or something of a certain type
Agree in gender and number
Tel étudiant mérite une récompense.
Such a student deserves a reward.
Telles idées sont intéressantes.
Such ideas are interesting.
3. Determiners Expressing Quantity or Absence
These determiners indicate how many, how many more, or none.
Determiner | English |
|---|---|
plusieurs | several |
quelque / quelques | some |
aucun / aucune | no / not any |
Plusieurs (several)
Always plural, invariable
Refers to more than two items, general and non-specific
Plusieurs élèves ont participé au concours.
Several students participated in the contest.
Il y a plusieurs films intéressants ce week-end.
There are several interesting movies this weekend.
Warning!
Plusieurs always implies plural nouns. It cannot be used with singular nouns.
plusieurs enfant ✖ → plusieurs enfants ✔
several children
Quelque / Quelques (some / a few)
Express small indefinite quantity
quelque → singular, quelques → plural
J'ai quelque idée à proposer.
I have some idea to propose.
Il a acheté quelques livres.
He bought a few books.
Aucun / Aucune (no / not any)
Express absence or negation
Agree in gender with the noun
Structure is ne + verb + aucun(e) + noun
Il n'y a aucun problème.
There is no problem.
Elle n'a aucune idée.
She has no idea.
Position and Word Order
Indefinite determiners always come before the noun. With adjectives, they are placed before the adjective.
Quelques belles maisons
Some beautiful houses
Tous les nouveaux étudiants
All the new students
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