French Indefinite Adjectives (Adjectifs Indéfinis)

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French indefinite adjectives, sometimes called affirmative indefinite adjectives, are used to modify nouns in an unspecific sense.

Examples of Indefinite Adjectives

   Tous les livres sont bons.
   All of the books are good.

   Chaque étudiant doit parler.
   Each student must speak.

   Il y a certaines lois.
   There are certain laws.

   Plusieurs hommes sont ici.
   Several men are here.

Indefinite Adjective Reference Table

Please see the table of French indefinite adjectives at the bottom of the page. The numbers in the final column refer to these notes:

1) These adjectives have to agree in gender and number with the nouns they modify:

   Il y a ​deux autres problèmes.
   There are two other problems.

   Certaines personnes ne vont pas le faire.
   Certain people won't do it.

2) Chaque always takes a singular noun and the third personal singular verb form.

   Chaque pays a ses propres traditions.
   Each country has its own traditions.

   Je vais regarder chaque voiture.
   I'm going to look at each car.

3) Divers agrees in gender with the noun it modifies.

   J'avais peur à divers moments.
   I was scared at various times.

   Il y a des dépenses diverses.
   There are miscellaneous expenses.

4) These adjectives always take a plural noun and the third person plural form of the verb.

   Plusieurs projets sont possibles.
   Several projects are possible.

   Diverses couleurs peuvent être utilisées.
   Various colors could be used.

5) Tout has irregular forms. Test your knowledge with this tout quiz.

6) An indefinite adjective + noun can be replaced with an indefinite pronoun.

Table of French Indefinite Adjectives

French English Notes
autre(s) other 1
certain(e)(s) certain 1
chaque each 2
divers(es) various 3, 4
maint(e)(s) many 1
plusieurs several 4
quelque(s) some, a few 1
tel some, any 1
tout(e)(s) all, every 1, 5
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Team, ThoughtCo. "French Indefinite Adjectives (Adjectifs Indéfinis)." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/french-indefinite-adjectives-1368794. Team, ThoughtCo. (2023, April 5). French Indefinite Adjectives (Adjectifs Indéfinis). Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/french-indefinite-adjectives-1368794 Team, ThoughtCo. "French Indefinite Adjectives (Adjectifs Indéfinis)." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/french-indefinite-adjectives-1368794 (accessed March 28, 2024).