This is actually a part 2 from a post I did a few months ago.
When an indefinite or negative word or expression is followed by an adjective, the preposition de is placed between them. The adjective is always masculine singular.
- quelqu’un/personne d’intelligent | someone/no one intelligent
- quelque chose/rien de délicieux | something/nothing delicious
- Quoi de neuf ? | What’s new?
- un je ne sais quoi de fascinant | something fascinating
The phrase d’autre translates else with quelqu’un, quelque chose, personne, rien, and quoi: quelqu’un/quelque chose/rien d’autre (someone/something/nothing else), Quoi d’autre ? (What else?). Note also ailleurs (elsewhere) and nulle part ailleurs (nowhere else). De followed by a masculine singular adjective is also used after qu’est-ce qu’il y a and ce qu’il y a.
Qu’est-ce qu’il y a de plus amusant pour les enfants que le guignol ? | What is more fun for children than a puppet show?
The word chaque means each. The corresponding pronoun (each one) is chacun, chacune.
Avez-vous apporté quelque chose pour chaque enfant ? | Have you bought something for each child?
Oui, j’ai un cadeau pour chacun. | Yes, I have a gift for each (one).
The word tout has several uses in French. As an adjective it has four forms: tout, toute, tous, toutes.
🔵 When it directly precedes a singular noun, it means every.
- Tout enfant doit aller à l’école. | Every child must go to school.
This is similar in meaning to tous/toutes + definite article + plural noun.
- Tous les enfants doivent aller à l’école. | All children must go to school.
🔵 Tout/Toute + definite article + singular noun means all the, the whole. Compare tout la ville (the whole city) with toute ville (every city).
🔵 Tout/Toutes les + number:
- Il vient tous les trois mois. | He comes every three months (every third month).
- Prenez. C’est pour tous les deux. | Take it. It’s for both of you.
- Nous sommes sortis tous les quatre. | All four of us went out.
🔵 Tout as a pronoun means everything.
- J’espère que tout va bien. | I hope everything is all right.
- Tout est en règle. | Everything is in order.
🔵 Tous as a pronoun (final s is pronounced) means everyone. It is followed by a plural verb when it is the subject of the sentence.
- Ils sont tous revenus. | They all came back.
- Tous on demandé de vous voir. | Everyone has asked to see you.
🔵 Tout le monde + singular verb is the most common way to express everyone. To express the whole world, French uses le monde entier.
- Tout le monde a demandé de te voir. | Everyone has asked to see you.
Have a great week, tout le monde !
A la prochaine…
Courtney