Spanish Indefinite Pronouns: Algo, Alguien, Nadie and Nada

The core system: something, someone, nothing and nobody

Spanish indefinite pronouns at a glance

Indefinite pronouns replace nouns or refer to unspecified people, things, amounts or groups.

Algo and nada

Algo refers to an unspecified thing, idea or content. Nada is its negative counterpart and means “nothing” or “anything” in negative sentences.

Quiero algo. — I want something.
¿Necesitas algo? — Do you need anything?
No quiero nada. — I do not want anything.
Nada es imposible. — Nothing is impossible.

When nada appears after the verb in a negative sentence, Spanish normally also uses no before the verb: No veo nada.

Alguien and nadie

Alguien means “someone”, “somebody” or “anyone” in questions. Nadie means “nobody” or “anybody” in negative sentences. Both refer to people and do not change for gender or number.

Because alguien and nadie refer to people, they often use personal a when they are direct objects: Veo a alguien, No veo a nadie.

Alguno, alguna, algunos and algunas

Alguno and its forms can mean “some”, “one”, “any” or “some of them” depending on context. As pronouns, they replace a noun that is already understood.

Before a masculine singular noun, alguno becomes algún: algún libro. That is determiner use, not pronoun use.

Ninguno and ninguna

Ninguno and ninguna are negative pronouns meaning “none”, “not one” or “no one” depending on context. They often answer questions with alguno.

¿Tienes algún libro? — No, no tengo ninguno. — Do you have any book? — No, I do not have any.
¿Quieres una? — No quiero ninguna. — Do you want one? — I do not want any.
Ninguno funciona. — None of them works.
No conozco ninguno. — I do not know any of them.

Before a masculine singular noun, ninguno becomes ningún: ningún problema. That is determiner use.

Cualquiera

Cualquiera means “anyone”, “any one”, “whichever” or “any of them”. It expresses an unrestricted or non-specific choice.

Cualquiera puede aprender español. — Anyone can learn Spanish.
Elige cualquiera. — Choose any one.
Cualquiera de estos libros sirve. — Any of these books works.
No se lo digas a cualquiera. — Do not tell just anyone.

Before a singular noun, cualquiera usually shortens to cualquier: cualquier persona, cualquier libro. That is determiner use.

Todo, otro and varios as pronouns

Some words can function as indefinite pronouns when they replace a noun or refer to a group without naming it. This includes forms such as todo, otro and varios.

Negative indefinite pronouns and double negation

Spanish often uses no before the verb when a negative indefinite pronoun appears after the verb. This is normal Spanish grammar and does not cancel the negation.

Learner rule: when nadie, nada or ninguno comes after the verb, use no before the verb.

Indefinite pronouns vs indefinite determiners

The same Spanish word can often be a pronoun or a determiner. A pronoun replaces a noun. A determiner comes before a noun.

Learn noun-based forms here: Spanish Indefinite Determiners.

Personal a with alguien and nadie

Because alguien and nadie refer to people, Spanish commonly uses the personal a when they function as direct objects.

Veo a alguien. — I see someone.
No veo a nadie. — I do not see anyone.
Busco a alguien que hable español. — I am looking for someone who speaks Spanish.
No conozco a nadie aquí. — I do not know anyone here.

With algo and nada, there is no personal a because they do not refer to people: Veo algo, No veo nada.

Algo and nada with adjectives

Algo and nada can also appear before adjectives to express degree. In this use, they behave more like degree words.

Es algo difícil. — It is somewhat difficult.
Estoy algo cansado. — I am somewhat tired.
No es nada fácil. — It is not easy at all.
No está nada mal. — It is not bad at all.

This use connects indefinite words with adverbs of quantity and degree.

When to use Spanish indefinite pronouns

Related grammar topics

FAQ: Spanish indefinite pronouns