This lesson covers Italian indefinite pronouns like qualcuno (someone), qualcosa (something), and nessuno (no one), teaching their use in affirmative and negative sentences to refer to unspecified people or things.
- Qualcuno and nessuno refer to people, qualcosa refers to things.
- Someone and something are used in affirmative sentences.
- Nobody is used in negative sentences.
- Altro is used for both people and things.
| Pronome | Esempio |
|---|---|
| Qualcuno (Someone) | Ho visto qualcuno alla stazione. |
| Qualcosa (Something) | Cerco qualcosa da mangiare. |
| Nessuno (Nobody) | Non c'è nessuno in casa. (There is no one at home.) |
| Altro/a/i/e (Other) | Non c'è altro da dire. Aspetto altre persone. |
Exercise 1: I pronomi indefiniti: 'qualcuno', 'qualcosa', 'nessuno'
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
qualcuno, qualcosa, altro, Qualcuno, nessuno, qualcosa/altro
1.
Ho incontrato ... all'ambasciata ieri pomeriggio.
(I met someone at the embassy yesterday afternoon.)
2.
Hai già mangiato, vuoi ...?
(Have you eaten already, do you want more?)
3.
Non c'era ... quando ho perso il portafoglio.
(There was nobody there when I lost my wallet.)
4.
... ha rubato il mio ombrello ieri sera.
(Someone stole my umbrella last night.)
5.
Non ho visto ... dopo l'incidente ieri.
(I didn't see anyone after the accident yesterday.)
6.
Mi serve ... per coprirmi dalla pioggia.
(I need something to cover me from the rain.)
7.
Cerco ... da mangiare al mercato vicino.
(I'm looking for something/else to eat at the nearby market.)
8.
Ti hanno detto ... sull'assicurazione?
(Did someone tell you anything about the insurance?)
Exercise 2: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct sentence that uses the appropriate indefinite pronoun in the given context.
1.
'No one' is used in negative sentences to indicate the absence of people. This sentence is affirmative, so it is not correct.
'Something' is used only for things, not for people. Here it refers to a person who stole.
2.
'Someone' is used in affirmative sentences, not in negative ones.
'Something' refers to things, but here it is about people, so it is not correct.
3.
'Anything' is used in negative sentences to indicate the absence of things; here the sentence is affirmative, so it is not suitable.
'Someone' refers to people, but in this case things or documents to show are needed.
4.
'Something' is used in affirmative sentences and for things; with the negation 'there is no' it is better to use 'more' or 'nothing'.
'Someone' is used in affirmative sentences and for people; here the sentence is negative and incorrectly refers to people.
