Uses of "Poco", "Mucho", "Bastante", "Nada", "Nadie"

What these quantifiers do (and why they matter)

These words help you talk about quantity without giving an exact number.

• Non-exact quantity: poco, mucho, bastante, demasiado
• Absence: nada (things), nadie (people)
• Totality / addition: todo, otro
• A large amount (often emotional emphasis): tanto

Key rule: Do I need to change the ending?

Sometimes the quantifier behaves like an adjective (it agrees). Sometimes it behaves like an adverb (it does not).

Poco / Mucho / Bastante / Demasiado: how to choose

• poco = “a little / not much” (often implies “less than desired”)
• mucho = “a lot”
• bastante = “quite a bit / enough” (usually neutral or positive)
• demasiado = “too much / too many” (more than desired)

Mini contrast (same situation):

• Hay poco tráfico. (good: not much)
• Hay bastante tráfico. (noticeable, but not necessarily a problem)
• Hay demasiado tráfico. (problem: too much)

Common pitfall: gender/number agreement before nouns

When the quantifier comes right before a noun, match the noun:

Nada vs. Nadie: absence of things vs. people

• nada = “nothing” (things, information, actions)
• nadie = “no one / nobody” (people)

Typical frames you will use a lot:

• No hay nada aquí. (There is nothing here.)
• No hay nadie en la parada. (There is nobody at the stop.)
• Nadie quiere ir en coche. (Nobody wants to go by car.)

Quick check: Can you replace it with “people”?

• If yes → use nadie.
• If no → use nada.

Todo and Otro: “all” vs. “another”

• todo = “all / everything”
• otro = “another / other”

Agreement matters:

• todo, toda, todos, todas
• otro, otra, otros, otras

Natural commuting examples:

• Todo va rápido hoy. (Everything is going fast today.)
• Esperamos a otro autobús. (We’ll wait for another bus.)
• Necesito otra tarjeta. (I need another card.)

Tanto: “so much / so many” (and it also agrees)

tanto expresses a large amount, often with emphasis (“so much!”).

• Hay tanto tráfico… (uncountable → singular)
• Hay tantas reuniones hoy. (fem. pl.)

Self-check: 5-second decision guide

1. People or things? people → nadie; things → nada
2. Before a noun? yes → check gender/number agreement (poco/poca/pocos/pocas…)
3. After a verb? use the basic form: mucho / poco / demasiado
4. Too much? choose demasiado (negative)
5. Emphatic “so much/many”? choose tanto (and make it agree)