2. Some/any and other determiners Flashcards
aceite o agua: countable?
no
una casa, dos casas, unos niños: countable?
yes
With uncountable nouns:
There is a little milk in the kitchen.
Hay algo de leche en la cocina.
With uncountable nouns:
There is some milk in the kitchen.
Hay algo de leche en la cocina.
With uncountable nouns:
There is a little money in that drawer.
Hay un poco de dinero en ese cajón.
With uncountable nouns:
Can you give me some butter?
¿Me puedes dar algo de mantequilla?
There are a few girls with them. (unas cuantas)
Hay unas cuantas chicas con ellos.
Antonio lent me some books. (algunos)
Antonio me prestó algunos libros.
Only a few students are going to pass. (unos pocos)
Sólo unos pocos alumnos van a aprobar.
All synonyms?
unos, algunos, unos cuantos, unos pocos
if so, what is the translation?
some/ a few
In negative sentences, nada de is common with uncountable nouns to mean ‘not any’.
There isn’t any water.
No hay nada de agua.
While ‘nada de’ is used with uncountable nouns. Ningún/ninguna is common with singular countable nouns.
There aren’t any girls in my class.
There aren’t any girls in my class. (not a single girl)
No hay chicas en mi clase.
No hay ninguna chica en mi clase.
Ningún/ninguna is used with uncountable nouns for emphasis:
I don’t have any money.
No tengo ningún dinero.
The pronoun form of ningún is ninguno. Ninguna is invariable:
Are there (any) children in the garden? No, there aren't any.
¿Hay niños en el jardín?
No, no hay ninguno.
In colloquial Spanish, speakers very often use ni un (or ni uno if a pronoun is called for) and ni una instead of ningún/ninguno/ninguna, but never with uncountable nouns:
There aren’t any chairs in the class. (not a single chair)
No hay ni una silla en la clase.
Algún, alguna, algunos, and algunas are indefinite quantifiers that can be used in affirmative and interrogative sentences. Algún and alguna are common with uncountable nouns; algunos and algunas can only refer to plural nouns:
I still have some money left.
Todavía me queda algún dinero.
Algún, alguna, algunos, and algunas are indefinite quantifiers that can be used in affirmative and interrogative sentences. Algún and alguna are common with uncountable nouns; algunos and algunas can only refer to plural nouns:
There are some people in the street.
Hay algunas personas en la calle.
It is sometimes possible to use algún and alguna with countable singular nouns, but then the quantity the speaker has in mind is really small or considered to be insignificant.
I have some friends (conveying the idea that the number of friends the speaker has is truly small).
Tengo algún amigo.
One/Some day you’ll be sorry.
Algún día te arrepentirás.
One day a letter arrived.
Un día llegó una carta. (algún is not possible when referring to the past)
Determiners like (Algún, alguna, algunos, algunas) can be used similarly to alguien, but then there is an implication that the speaker knows who he or she is referring to:
Some (women) still think I’m unmarried.
Some (women) still think I am unmarried.
Algunas aún creen que estoy soltero.
Do ningunos and ningunas exist as words?
No.
In the negative (Algún, alguna, algunos, algunas) become:
ningún, ninguno, ningunos ninguna (ningunos and ningunas doesn’t exist)
Remember that uno, alguno, and ninguno lose the final -o when placed before a _______.
masquline singluar noun
When uno, alguno, and ninguno funcion as pronouns (replacing a noun), they retain the final -o.
I still have some.
Aún tengo alguno.
Alguien means somebody/someone:
There is somebody in the loft.
Hay alguien en el desván.
Alguien is used in affirmative, but ____ is used in negatives:
Is anyone there?
No, there isn’t anybody.
Hay alguien ahí?
No, no hay nadie.
I haven’t seen anybody.
Nobody has been here.
No he visto a nadie.
Nadie ha estado aquí.
something, anything
nothing, not … anything
algo (used in affirmative questions)
nada (used in negative questions)
I have seen something.
He visto algo. (algo: used in affirmative questions)
Have you bought anything?
¿Has comprado algo? algo (used in affirmative questions)
I haven’t done anything.
No he hecho nada. (nada: used in negative questions)
Nothing has been decided.
Nada ha sido decidido. (nada: used in negative questions)
‘Somewhere’ translates as ____ or _____.
algún lugar; algún sitio
They must be somewhere.
Tienen que estar en algún sitio/lugar.
Let’s go somewhere.
Vámanos a algún sitio/lugar.
In the negative, algún sitio/lugar is ____ or ____.
Ningún sitio/ ningún lugar.
They aren’t anywhere.
No están en ningún lugar/sitio.
‘Somehow’ translates as: de alguna forma or de alguna manera. _____ is used in the negative:
De ninguna forma/manera
Somehow they succeeded in escaping.
De alguna forma consiguieron escapar.
Cualquier is used to mean ‘any’ in the sense of ‘any one’:
Take any card.
Coge cualquier carta.
Cualquier cosa translates as:
anything
Cualquiera translates as:
anybody or anyone
Say anything.
Di cualquier cosa.
Anybody could do that.
Cualquiera podría hacer eso.
Cualquier sitio/lugar translates as:
anywhere
de cualquier forma/manera translates as:
anyhow
Let’s go anywhere.
Vámanos a cualquier sitio.
Anyhow, I don’t like it anymore.
De cualquier forma, ya no me gusta.
Numbers are used with uncountable nouns in Spanish when the speaker refers to type or category.
There are three different types of olive oil in that shop.
Hay tres aceites de oliva en esa tienda.
All the milk.
Toda la leche.
All this money.
Todo este dinero.
All the girls in my class.
Todas las chicas de mi class.
All the students.
Todos los alumnos.
Todo/Todos is not followed by de to translate ‘all of’:
all of us
todos nosotros
Todo/Todos is not followed by de to translate ‘all of’:
all of you
todos vosotros
Todo/Todos is not followed by de to translate ‘all of’:
all of them
todos ellos
Todo/Todos is not followed by de to translate ‘all of’:
all of it
todo
Everything translates as: ____
todo (invariable)
When todo functions as a direct object, the verbal sequence is always preceded by lo:
I have bought everything.
Lo he comprado todo.
As a pronoun, todos/todas can refer to nosotros/nosotras, vosotros/vosotras, ustedes, or ellos/ellas. When the context is ambiguous, subject pronouns are used:
I have seen you all.
Os he visto a todos.
As a pronoun, todos/todas can refer to nosotros/nosotras, vosotros/vosotras, ustedes, or ellos/ellas. When the context is ambiguous, subject pronouns are used:
I’ve told you all to come. (ustedes)
Les he dicho a todos ustedes que vengan.
As a pronoun, todos/todas can refer to nosotros/nosotras, vosotros/vosotras, ustedes, or ellos/ellas. When the context is ambiguous, subject pronouns are used:
I’ve told them all to leave.
Les he dicho a todos ellos que se vayan.
When todos and todas function as direct object pronouns, the verbal sequence is preceded by los or las:
I have sold all of them.
Las he vendido todas.
‘The whole’ translates as todo/toda, and ‘the whole of’ as todo/toda or la totalidad de:
the whole group
the whole of the country
todo el grupo
todo el país
Every translates as todos los/ todas las when the speaker refers to all the members of the group as a whole:
Every child passed the exam.
Todos los nínos aprobaron el examen.
Every child has his or her own book.
Cada niño tiene su propio libro.
Every time I se her .. .
Cada vez que la veo . . .
Everybody/everyone usually translates as todo el mundo, but there are other possibilities, such as toda la gente, todos:
I saw everybody.
Everybody knows.
Vi a todo el mundo.
Todos lo saben.
‘Each’ can be translated only as cada:
Each time I go there . . .
Cada vez que voy allí . . .
To translate the combinations ‘we each’, ‘you each, and so on, cada uno/una de + subject pronouns is used in Spanish:
We each have children.
Cada uno de nosotros tiene hijos.
To translate the combinations ‘we each’, ‘you each, and so on, cada uno/una de + subject pronouns is used in Spanish:
They (fem.) each know about it.
Cada una de ellas lo sabe.
‘Everywhere’ translates as en/por todas partes when location is meant, and as ‘a todas partes’ when movement is meant:
They are everywhere.
Están en/por todas partes.
‘Everywhere’ translates as en/por todas partes when location is meant, and as ‘a todas partes’ when movement is meant:
We went everywhere.
Fuimos a todas partes
‘Both’ can translate as ambos/ambas but in colloquial use los/las dos is more frequent:
Both thieves were arrested by the police.
Los dos ladrones fueron arrestados por la policía.
‘Both’ can translate as ambos/ambas but in colloquial use los/las dos is more frequent:
Both girls had to come.
Las dos chicas tuvieron que venir.
‘We both, ‘you both’, and so on, translate as los/las dos. The verb that follows indicates which grammatical person is referred to:
We both have problems.
Los dos tenemos problemas. (ambos/ambas can also be used)
‘We both, ‘you both’, and so on, translate as los/las dos. The verb that follows indicates which grammatical person is referred to:
They both got married in May.
Los dos se casaron en mayo. (ambos can also be used).
Ninguno/ninguna is more flexible in Spanish then the English equivalents:
I haven’t repaired either/any of these cars.
No he reparado ninguno de estos autos.
Ninguno/ninguna is more flexible in Spanish then the English equivalents:
Neither/none of these houses is/are for sale.
Ninguna de estas casas está en venta.
When it is necessary to make it clear that the reference is to one of two elements, Spanish uses ninguno/ninguna de los/las dos, ninguno/ninguna de estos/estas dos, and so on:
I don’t know either girl.
No conozco a ninguna de esas dos chicas.
No conozco a ninguna de las dos chicas.
Either meaning ‘one of two’ translates as uno/una de los/las dos:
Either parent can sign.
Uno de los dos padres puede firmar.
‘Much’, ‘many’, and ‘a lot of’ translate as mucho, agreeing in gender and number with the accompanying noun:
There is a lot of smoke.
I don’t have many friends.
Are there many girls?
Hay mucho humo.
No tengo muchos amigos.
¿Hay muchas chicas?
In colloquial language, ‘a lot of’ can be translated by ‘un montón de’; this expression is rarely used in negative constructions:
I have a lot of friends.
Tengo un montón de amigos.
‘Lots of’ can be montones de (invariable in gender) or the superlative form muchísimo (which agrees in gender and number with the noun it accompanies):
There are lots of people.
Hay montones de personas.
Hay muchísimas personas.
‘Little’ translates as poco/poca, and ‘few’ translates as ‘poco/pocas.’ These words can also act as pronouns:
There is little milk.
Hay poca leche.
‘Little’ translates as poco/poca, and ‘few’ translates as ‘poco/pocas.’ These words can also act as pronouns:
I have few books.
Tengo pocos libros.
‘Little’ translates as poco/poca, and ‘few’ translates as ‘poco/pocas.’ These words can also act as pronouns:
There is very little (money, for example)
Hay muy poco (dinero)
‘A little’ translates as un poco (invariable) and ‘a few’ translates as unos pocos/unas pocas or unos cuantos/unas cuantas. The preposition de is added to un poco when a noun/pronoun follows:
I only want a little milk.
Sólo quiero un poco de leche.
‘A little’ translates as un poco (invariable) and ‘a few’ translates as unos pocos/unas pocas or unos cuantos/unas cuantas. The preposition de is added to un poco when a noun/pronoun follows:
There are a few boys.
Hay unos cuantos chicos.
Diminutive forms of poco/poca/pocos/pocas are very common:
I need a little help.
Necesito un poquito de ayuda.
Diminutive forms of poco/poca/pocos/pocas are very common:
I want a little bit of water.
Queiro un poquitín de agua.
Diminutive forms of poco/poca/pocos/pocas are very common:
I have very few things.
Tengo poquitas cosas.
Adding the preposition de to unos/unas cuantos/cuantas or unos/unas pocos/pocas is not possible except in the construction unos/unas cuantos/cuantas/pocos/pocas+de+determiner+noun/pronoun:
a few of my pupils
unos cuantos de mis alumnos
‘Several’ translates as varios:
I have several books by that author.
Tengo varios libros de ese autor.
‘Several’ translates as varios:
There are several girls at the door.
Hay varias chicas en la puerta.
