Indefinite pronouns include a large number of forms, different from each other in meaning and use, but all united by a main characteristic, that of indicating in a generic and indeterminate way the people, things, and quantities to which they refer:
- Qualcosa è accaduto.
- Something happened.
- Dammi qualcosa da mangiare.
- Give me something to eat.
- Non mi piace nulla.
- I don’t like anything.
- Non fa niente.
- It does not matter.
| Qualcosa | something, anything |
| Niente/Nulla | nothing, anything |
| Alcunché | anything, something |
| Chicchessia | anyone, whoever, anybody at all |
| Checché | whatever, no matter what |
1. The everyday pronouns: Qualcosa, Niente, Nulla
A. Qualcosa (Something, Anything)
Refers to an unspecified thing, object, idea, or concept. It is the equivalent of “something” in affirmative sentences and “anything” in questions
Grammar rule for Qualcosa
- Invariable: It is always singular and treated as masculine (even though the word cosa is feminine) .
- Followed by an adjective: Use the preposition di + the masculine singular form of the adjective.
- Ho visto qualcosa di strano. (I saw something strange.)
- Followed by a verb: Use the preposition da + infinitive.
- Cerco qualcosa da mangiare. (I’m looking for something to eat.)
- It is used in affirmative sentences and questions.
Examples
- Qualcosa è caduto. (Something fell.)
- Vuoi qualcosa da bere? (Do you want something/anything to drink?)
- Hai detto qualcosa? (Did you say something?)
- Ho fatto qualcosa di male? (Have I done something wrong?)
- C’è qualcosa che io possa fare per te? (Is there anything I can do for you?)
- C’è qualcosa che non va. (There is something wrong.)
B. NIENTE/NULLA
These two pronouns are interchangeable in almost all contexts. They mean “nothing” in negative sentences and “anything” in questions or after senza (without) . Niente is slightly more common in informal speech, while nulla can sound a touch more formal, but they are synonyms.
Grammar rule for Niente and Nulla
- Invariable: Always singular and masculine.
- Double Negation: This is a crucial rule. When niente or nulla comes after the verb, you must use the negative particle non before the verb.
- Non ho visto niente. (I didn’t see anything / I saw nothing.)
- If they come before the verb, they do not need non.
- Niente è cambiato. (Nothing has changed.)
- Followed by an adjective: Like qualcosa, they use the preposition di + masculine singular adjective.
- Non c’è niente di nuovo. (There’s nothing new.)
- Followed by a verb: Use da.
- Non ho nulla da fare. (I have nothing to do.)
Examples
- Non so niente. (I don’t know anything.)
- Nulla è impossibile. (Nothing is impossible.)
- Sei sicuro? Niente? (Are you sure? Nothing at all?)
- Oggi non ho fatto nulla. (I didn’t do anything today.)
- Niente mi farà desistere da questo progetto.
- (Nothing will make me give up on this project.)
- Hai notato qualcosa di strano? No, non ho notato nulla.
- (Have you noticed anything strange? No, I didn’t notice anything.)
- Hai sentito qualcosa, fuori? No, non ho sentito niente.
- (Did you hear anything outside? No, I didn’t hear anything.)
- Non è mai d’accordo con niente e con nessuno.
- (He never agrees with anything or anyone.)
2. The formal/literary pronoun: Alcunché
This pronoun means “anything” or “something.” It is used almost exclusively in negative sentences or in contexts that imply a negative, making it a synonym for niente or nulla in formal, written Italian.
Grammar rules for Alcunché
- Invariable: Always singular and masculine.
- Highly formal: You will almost never hear this in conversation. It belongs to legal texts, formal literature, or very elevated prose.
- It typically requires the double negative (non) when following the verb.
Example:
- Non ho alcunché da dire.
- I have nothing to say.
- Ho notato alcunché di diverso nel suo comportamento.
- I noticed something different in his behavior.
- Non disse alcunché. (He didn’t say anything.) [Much more literary than non disse niente]
Nuance: Using alcunché instantly makes your Italian sound bookish or archaic. For normal speech or writing, stick with niente or nulla.
3. The archaic/literary pronouns: Chicchessia and Checché
These two are at the extreme end of the spectrum. They are considered archaic and are rarely used in modern Italian, except perhaps for a highly ironic or intentionally antiquated effect .
A. Chicchessia (anyone, whoever, anybody at all)
It means “anyone at all,” “whoever,” or “any person whatsoever.” It is a more emphatic and archaic version of chiunque.
Grammar rules for Chicchessia
- Invariable: One form for both genders and numbers.
- Archaic: Its use today is extremely limited. You might find it in very old texts or in modern writing where the author wants to sound deliberately grand or old-fashioned.
- È uno che non parla con chicchessia.
- He’s someone who doesn’t talk to anyone.
- Lo può fare chicchessia. (Anyone at all can do it.) [Chiunque is the modern equivalent.]
- Non lo direi a chicchessia. (I wouldn’t say it to just anyone.)
B. Checché (whatever, no matter what)
This is a double pronoun meaning “whatever” or “no matter what.” It is used to introduce a clause and is always followed by the subjunctive mood
Grammar rules for Checché
- Invariable.
- Always introduces a clause.
- Requires the subjunctive.
- It is almost entirely confined to fixed expressions or very high literature.
Examples
- Checché tu ne pensi, io ci andrò lo stesso.
- Whatever you think, I’ll go anyway.
- Checché se ne dica, Piero non mi sembra affatto serio.
- Whatever anyone says, Piero doesn’t seem serious at all to me.
- Checché tu faccia, stai attento. (Whatever you do, be careful.)
Nuance: Checché is a fossil. The average Italian speaker would understand it in a fixed phrase like the one above but would never use it actively. The modern equivalent is qualunque cosa + subjunctive (Qualunque cosa si dica…).
Next lesson:
Aggettivi e pronomi indefiniti 1 / indefinite adjectives and pronouns 1