Indefinite adjectives are the words Italians use to talk about quantities and groups in a vague way — every, each, some, a few, all, much, many, too much, no, none. Some are invariable (they never change form): ogni (every) and qualche (some) always take a singular noun, even when they refer to a plural meaning — ogni giorno (every day), qualche libro (some books). Others are variable and must agree in gender and number with the noun: tutto/tutta/tutti/tutte (all), molto/molta/molti/molte (much/many), poco/poca/pochi/poche (little/few), troppo (too much), tanto (so much). The two-track system trips up almost every learner, but the patterns become reliable with practice.
In the exercises below you'll learn the crucial distinction between qualche (invariable + singular: qualche amico) and alcuni/alcune (plural + plural: alcuni amici), which both translate as "some" but follow different grammar. You'll also work with the indefinite pronouns qualcuno (someone), ognuno (everyone), nessuno (no one), and tutti (everyone), plus the special behavior of nessuno, which always requires a negative verb when it follows (Non è venuto nessuno — Nobody came) but stands alone when it precedes (Nessuno è venuto). These small words appear in nearly every Italian conversation, and getting their agreement and word order right makes your speech sound markedly more native.
Indefinite adjectives (aggettivi indefiniti) refer to quantities or groups of people and things in a vague, non-specific way. Unlike numbers or definite articles, they do not identify exactly how many or which ones. In Italian, some indefinite adjectives are invariable (they never change form), while others must agree in gender and number with the noun they describe. Mastering them is essential for natural, fluent Italian.
| Italian | English meaning | Grammar rule | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| ogni | every / each | Invariable — always singular noun | ogni giorno (every day), ogni persona (every person) |
| qualche | some / a few | Invariable — always singular noun | qualche libro (some books), qualche volta (sometimes) |
| qualsiasi / qualunque | any / whatever | Invariable — always singular noun | qualsiasi momento (any moment), qualunque cosa (anything) |
| Base form | Masc. Sing. | Fem. Sing. | Masc. Plur. | Fem. Plur. | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| tutto | tutto | tutta | tutti | tutte | all / every / whole |
| molto | molto | molta | molti | molte | much / many / a lot of |
| poco | poco | poca | pochi | poche | little / few / not much |
| tanto | tanto | tanta | tanti | tante | so much / so many |
| troppo | troppo | troppa | troppi | troppe | too much / too many |
| alcuni / alcune | — | — | alcuni | alcune | some / a few (plural only) |
| nessuno | nessuno | nessuna | — | — | no / not any (singular only) |
Both qualche and alcuni/alcune translate as 'some' or 'a few', but they work differently. qualche is INVARIABLE and takes a SINGULAR noun: qualche libro (some books). alcuni/alcune are PLURAL and take a PLURAL noun: alcuni libri (some books). They mean the same thing but use different grammar. Remember: qualche = invariable + singular noun; alcuni/alcune = plural + plural noun.
| Pronoun | Gender | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| qualcuno | masc./neutral | someone / anyone | Qualcuno ha chiamato. (Someone called.) |
| qualcuna | fem. | someone (fem.) / any one | Qualcuna delle ragazze lo sa. (One of the girls knows.) |
| ognuno | masc./neutral | everyone / each one | Ognuno ha i suoi problemi. (Everyone has their problems.) |
| ognuna | fem. | everyone / each one (fem.) | Ognuna di noi deve farlo. (Each one of us must do it.) |
| nessuno | masc. | no one / nobody | Nessuno è venuto. (Nobody came.) |
| nessuna | fem. | no one / nobody (fem.) | Non ho visto nessuna. (I didn't see anyone.) |
| tutti / tutte | masc. / fem. | everyone / all | Tutti sanno la verità. (Everyone knows the truth.) |
nessuno (no one, no, none) is always singular and requires a negative verb when it follows the verb: Non è venuto nessuno (No one came). However, when nessuno comes BEFORE the verb, no double negative is needed: Nessuno è venuto. Both mean the same thing. As an adjective, nessuno follows the same elision rules as the indefinite article un: nessun problema (no problem), nessuno studente (no student), nessuna idea (no idea).
10 exercises · 0 completed
ogni — Every / Each
10 questions
qualche — Some / A Few
10 questions
ogni vs qualche — Choosing the Right Word
10 questions
ogni and qualche — Fill in the Blank
10 questions
qualsiasi and qualunque — Any / Whatever
10 questions
ogni, qualche, qualsiasi — Mixed Practice
10 questions
ogni, qualche, qualsiasi — Fill in the Blank
10 questions
Invariable Adjectives — Error Correction
10 questions
ogni and qualche — Translation Practice
10 questions
Group 1 Review — Invariable Adjectives
10 questions
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alcuni/alcune — Some (Plural)
10 questions
alcuni/alcune vs qualche
10 questions
tutto — Agreement with Gender and Number
10 questions
tutto — With Definite Articles
10 questions
alcuni/alcune and tutto — Fill in the Blank
10 questions
tutto/tutti as Pronouns — Everything / Everyone
10 questions
Group 2 Review — alcuni/alcune and tutto
10 questions
Group 2 — Translation Practice
10 questions
Group 2 — Error Correction
10 questions
Group 2 Review — Fill in the Blank
10 questions
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molto — Much / Many / A Lot Of
10 questions
poco — Little / Few
10 questions
tanto — So Much / So Many
10 questions
troppo — Too Much / Too Many
10 questions
molto, poco, tanto, troppo — Fill in the Blank
10 questions
molto vs poco vs tanto vs troppo — Choosing the Right Word
10 questions
Group 3 — Agreement Practice
10 questions
altro/altra/altri/altre — Other / Another
10 questions
Group 3 — Error Correction
10 questions
Group 3 Review — Fill in the Blank
10 questions
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nessuno/nessuna — No One / No
10 questions
nessuno — Double Negative and Position
10 questions
qualcuno — Someone / Somebody
10 questions
ognuno — Everyone / Each One
10 questions
nessuno, qualcuno, ognuno — Fill in the Blank
10 questions
qualcosa — Something / Anything
10 questions
Group 4 — qualcuno vs nessuno vs ognuno
10 questions
Group 4 — Pronouns Fill in the Blank
10 questions
Group 4 Review — Error Correction
10 questions
Group 4 Review — Fill in the Blank
10 questions
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Mixed Indefinite Adjectives — Choose the Correct Form
10 questions
Common Errors — Ogni vs. Qualche vs. Alcuni
10 questions
Common Errors — Molto, Poco, Tanto, Troppo Agreement
10 questions
Distinguishing Adjectives vs. Pronouns
10 questions
Mixed Fill in the Blank — All Forms
10 questions
Nessuno — Negative Sentences
10 questions
Tutto — Agreement in Context
10 questions
Real-life Contexts — Choosing the Right Indefinite
10 questions
Error Correction — Spot the Mistake
10 questions
Group 5 Final Review — Fill in the Blank
10 questions
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Words like alcuni (some), qualche (some), ogni (every), tutto (all), nessuno (no/none), molto (much/many), poco (little/few), tanto (so much), troppo (too much), parecchio (quite a lot). They express undefined quantity or identity.
Both mean "some" but qualche is always followed by a singular noun even with plural meaning: "qualche libro" = "alcuni libri" (some books). Use whichever feels natural — qualche is shorter and very common in spoken Italian.
Ogni (every) is invariable and always followed by a singular noun: "ogni giorno" (every day), "ogni studente" (every student). For "every" with a number, use "ogni" + cardinal: "ogni due ore" (every two hours).
A2 Topics