Indefinite determiners are the words that sit before a noun and tell us how much, how many, which one, or which kind — without pinning down a specific identity. Algum, nenhum, qualquer, cada, todo, vário, certo, muito, pouco, outro, mesmo, tanto. English has its own set — some, no, any, each, every, several, certain, much, few, other, same, so much. The Portuguese set is richer, more systematically inflected, and contains several traps that trip up English-speakers consistently: the position-sensitive meaning of certo and mesmo, the distinction between todo (determiner) and tudo (pronoun), the polarity behaviour of algum and nenhum, and the special placement of todo with respect to the article. This page walks through each determiner in turn, showing the forms, the meanings, and the errors to avoid.
Algum / alguma / alguns / algumas — some, any
Algum is the positive indefinite: some, any. It agrees with the noun in gender and number.
Tens algum problema?
Do you have any problem?
Alguns dias são difíceis.
Some days are hard.
Preciso de alguma ajuda.
I need some help.
Ela fez algumas perguntas interessantes.
She asked some interesting questions.
In questions, algum often translates as any. In affirmatives, it translates as some. In conditional contexts, it can go either way.
Se tiveres alguma dúvida, avisa-me.
If you have any doubt, let me know.
Algum placed after the noun — emphatic negative
Here is one of the most elegant and least obvious features of European Portuguese: algum placed after the noun, in a negative clause, intensifies the negation to mean none at all, whatsoever. The sentence must contain a negator (usually não).
Não tenho dúvida alguma sobre isso.
I have no doubt at all about that.
Ele não mostrou interesse algum no projeto.
He showed no interest whatsoever in the project.
Não encontrei solução alguma.
I found no solution at all.
This post-nominal algum is a stylistic alternative to nenhum, with slightly heavier emphasis. Keep it in your reading vocabulary — you will meet it often in journalism and formal prose.
Nenhum / nenhuma / nenhuns / nenhumas — no, none
Nenhum is the negative counterpart of algum: no (as a determiner) or none (as a pronoun). It agrees in gender and number. In practice, the singular dominates — Portuguese uses nenhum aluno where English might say no students. The plurals nenhuns / nenhumas are rare and usually reserved for inherently plural nouns (óculos, calças) or strong emphasis.
Não tenho nenhum problema.
I don't have any problem.
Nenhum aluno faltou à aula.
No student missed the class.
Nenhuma das respostas está correta.
None of the answers is correct.
Não há nenhuma razão para preocupação.
There's no reason to worry.
The double negation rule
Portuguese requires strict double negation. When nenhum appears after the verb, não must appear before it. When nenhum appears before the verb, não is omitted.
Não vi nenhum dos meus amigos ontem.
I didn't see any of my friends yesterday. (nenhum after verb → não before verb)
Nenhum dos meus amigos me telefonou.
None of my friends called me. (nenhum before verb → no não)
This is not a double negative in the English sense (I don't see nothing is a dialectal English error). Portuguese considers não...nenhum and nenhum alone as a single grammatical unit — one negative expressed across two positions.
The polarity rule — algum vs nenhum in negative clauses
In a clause with a negator, indefinites must also be negative. You cannot mix algum with não: if the clause is negative, every indefinite must be negative too.
❌ Não tenho algum problema.
Incorrect — after 'não', use 'nenhum', not 'algum'.
✅ Não tenho nenhum problema.
I don't have any problem.
❌ Ninguém tem algum livro sobre isto.
Incorrect — 'algum' clashes with 'ninguém'.
✅ Ninguém tem nenhum livro sobre isto.
Nobody has any book about this.
The polarity rule is absolute. If you remember nothing else about algum/nenhum, remember this: in negative contexts, use nenhum.
Qualquer / quaisquer — any, whatever, whichever
Qualquer means any in the sense of "freely chosen, irrespective of which one." It has one singular form (invariable across genders) and a plural quaisquer.
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| qualquer (m. and f.) | quaisquer (m. and f.) |
Compra qualquer livro que aches interessante.
Buy any book you find interesting.
Podes telefonar-me a qualquer hora.
You can call me at any time.
Qualquer pessoa pode fazer isto.
Any person can do this.
Em quaisquer circunstâncias, é preciso manter a calma.
Under any circumstances, one must keep calm.
Qualquer differs from algum in meaning. Algum livro means "some book (an unspecified one that exists or might exist)." Qualquer livro means "any book, it doesn't matter which." In English, both can translate as "any," but the flavours differ.
Traz algum livro.
Bring some book. (unspecified, but a particular one)
Traz qualquer livro.
Bring any book. (whichever you want)
Note: qualquer as a determiner normally stands before the noun. Placed after the noun, it takes on a pejorative flavour — um livro qualquer means "just any old book, nothing special."
Não é um filme qualquer — é uma obra-prima.
It's not just any film — it's a masterpiece.
Ele não é um homem qualquer.
He's not just anyone.
Cada — each, every (distributive, invariable)
Cada is invariable. It always appears as cada, regardless of the noun's gender or number. It conveys a distributive sense — picking out individual members of a set one at a time.
Cada aluno recebeu um livro.
Each student received a book.
Cada dia é uma oportunidade.
Each day is an opportunity.
Os preços variam de loja para loja.
Prices vary from shop to shop.
Cada um tem a sua opinião.
Each one has their own opinion.
Cada combines frequently with numerals (cada cinco anos = every five years) and with um/uma (cada um, cada uma = each one).
Há eleições de quatro em quatro anos.
There are elections every four years.
Cada duas horas, há um comboio para o Porto.
Every two hours, there's a train to Porto.
Cada uma das minhas irmãs escolheu um caminho diferente.
Each of my sisters chose a different path.
An idiomatic expression: cada vez mais (more and more), cada vez menos (less and less).
As temperaturas estão cada vez mais altas.
Temperatures are getting higher and higher.
Vou ao ginásio cada vez menos.
I go to the gym less and less.
Todo / toda / todos / todas — every, all, the whole
Todo is the universal determiner. It has two quite different uses depending on position relative to the article.
Todos os + plural noun — all (of) the
With the definite article after it, todos / todas means all (of) the — universal quantification over a set.
Todos os alunos passaram no exame.
All the students passed the exam.
Todas as minhas amigas foram à festa.
All my friends (fem.) went to the party.
Visitámos todos os museus da cidade.
We visited all the museums in the city.
Todos os dias, ela acorda às seis.
Every day, she wakes up at six.
Todo o + singular noun — the whole, all of the
With a singular noun and the article, todo o / toda a means the whole, all of the.
Todo o tempo que perdi.
All the time I wasted.
Toda a casa cheira a bolo.
The whole house smells of cake.
Estudou toda a noite.
He studied all night.
Ela contou toda a história.
She told the whole story.
Todo + singular noun (no article) — every (generic)
Without the article, todo homem, toda mulher means every man, every woman in a generic, sweeping sense. This use is slightly literary and is increasingly rare in spoken Portuguese, which prefers cada or todo + article.
Todo homem é mortal.
Every man is mortal. (generic, slightly literary)
Toda criança merece uma educação.
Every child deserves an education.
In ordinary speech, cada homem é mortal or todos os homens são mortais would be more natural.
Vário / vária / vários / várias — several, various
Vário agrees in gender and number. It is mostly used in the plural, meaning several.
Há vários restaurantes bons nesta rua.
There are several good restaurants on this street.
Vários dos meus colegas vivem no Porto.
Several of my colleagues live in Porto.
Ela escreveu várias cartas durante a viagem.
She wrote several letters during the trip.
Tenho várias ideias para o projeto.
I have several ideas for the project.
The singular vário / vária is rare and slightly literary, meaning various, varied: um pensamento vário (a varied thought). In ordinary speech, you will almost always meet the plural.
Certo / certa / certos / certas — a certain / correct (position-sensitive!)
This is one of the trickiest determiners in Portuguese, because its position relative to the noun completely changes its meaning.
| Position | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| before noun | a certain (indefinite identity) | certa pessoa = a certain person |
| after noun (with article) | correct, right | a resposta certa = the correct answer |
Certa pessoa disse-me que tu ias mudar de emprego.
A certain person told me you were going to change jobs. (pre-nominal = 'a certain')
A resposta certa é a letra B.
The correct answer is letter B. (post-nominal = 'correct')
Em certos casos, é preciso fazer uma exceção.
In certain cases, one must make an exception. (pre-nominal = 'certain')
Este é o caminho certo para a praia.
This is the right road to the beach. (post-nominal = 'correct')
The same word with a simple position swap changes from "a certain" (indefinite) to "correct" (qualitative). English-speakers routinely mix these up. Remember: before the noun, certo is indefinite; after the noun, certo means right.
Mesmo / mesma / mesmos / mesmas — same, self, very
Mesmo is another position-sensitive determiner with multiple meanings.
Mesmo before the noun — same
Before the noun, mesmo means same, typically with a definite article.
Estamos na mesma equipa.
We're on the same team.
Ela leu o mesmo livro duas vezes.
She read the same book twice.
Tomamos o mesmo comboio todos os dias.
We take the same train every day.
Mesmo after the noun or pronoun — self, emphatic
After a noun or pronoun, mesmo functions as an emphatic — myself, yourself, itself, or the very one.
Eu mesmo fiz o bolo.
I made the cake myself.
Ela mesma o disse.
She herself said it.
Fomos ao restaurante mesmo ao lado do hotel.
We went to the restaurant right next to the hotel. (mesmo = very, right)
O presidente mesmo o confirmou.
The president himself confirmed it.
Mesmo as an adverb (even, really) is a separate use: mesmo que, mesmo assim, mesmo! (really!) — a topic for a different page.
Muito / muita / muitos / muitas — much, many
Muito inflects in gender and number when used as a determiner before a noun.
Tenho muito trabalho esta semana.
I have a lot of work this week.
Ela tem muita paciência.
She has a lot of patience.
Há muitos turistas no Algarve em agosto.
There are many tourists in the Algarve in August.
Comi muitas azeitonas.
I ate a lot of olives.
As an adverb (modifying a verb or adjective), muito is invariable: ela é muito inteligente, eles gostam muito. That adverbial use is on a different page.
Pouco / pouca / poucos / poucas — little, few
Pouco is the counterpart of muito. It agrees in gender and number.
Tenho pouco tempo hoje.
I have little time today.
Ela tem pouca paciência com atrasos.
She has little patience with delays.
Há poucos lugares disponíveis no voo.
There are few seats available on the flight.
Compraram poucas maçãs.
They bought few apples.
The diminutive pouquinho / pouquinha softens the quantity and adds an affectionate or polite flavour. It is very common in spoken EP.
Queres um pouquinho de bolo?
Would you like a little bit of cake?
Espera um pouquinho, já venho.
Wait a moment, I'll be right there.
Bastante / bastantes — enough, quite a lot, quite many
Bastante has one form in the singular and an -s plural. The meaning shifts depending on context: enough, quite a lot, or plenty.
Tenho bastante tempo para te ajudar.
I have plenty of time to help you.
Há bastantes pessoas à espera.
There are quite a few people waiting.
Come bastante sopa antes do jantar.
Eat quite a lot of soup before dinner.
Ela tem bastante dinheiro para comprar a casa.
She has enough money to buy the house.
As an adverb, bastante is invariable: ele é bastante inteligente (he is quite intelligent).
Outro / outra / outros / outras — other, another
Outro agrees in gender and number. It has two ordinary placements.
With um/uma — another one (specific)
Dá-me um outro exemplo.
Give me another example.
Queres uma outra bebida?
Would you like another drink?
Without an article — other (generic plural)
Outros países têm o mesmo problema.
Other countries have the same problem.
Preferes outras opções?
Do you prefer other options?
With numeral outros dois, outras três — another two, another three
Outros dois amigos vão vir connosco.
Another two friends are coming with us.
Preciso de outras três horas para acabar.
I need another three hours to finish.
O outro / a outra / os outros / as outras — the other
O outro livro é mais interessante.
The other book is more interesting.
A outra sala está ocupada.
The other room is occupied.
Os outros alunos já chegaram.
The other students have already arrived.
Tanto / tanta / tantos / tantas — so much, so many
Tanto agrees and means so much / so many, often with an exclamatory or intensifying flavour.
Tenho tanto que fazer!
I have so much to do!
Ela tem tanta paciência contigo.
She has so much patience with you.
Há tantos livros para ler.
There are so many books to read.
Convidou tantas pessoas que a casa ficou pequena.
She invited so many people that the house became too small.
As an adverb (tanto modifying a verb), it is invariable: ele fala tanto! (he talks so much!).
The critical todo vs tudo distinction
This catches every English-speaker at some point. Todo is a determiner (it modifies a noun and agrees with it). Tudo is a pronoun (invariable, "everything"). They are different words.
| Word | Role | Invariable? | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| todo / toda / todos / todas | Determiner (modifies a noun) | No (agrees) | every, all, whole |
| tudo | Pronoun (stands alone) | Yes | everything (abstract, unspecified) |
Todos os dias, ela vai ao ginásio. (todo + noun = every)
Every day, she goes to the gym.
Ela faz tudo sozinha. (tudo alone = everything)
She does everything by herself.
Toda a festa foi um sucesso. (toda + noun = the whole)
The whole party was a success.
Adoro tudo o que ela faz. (tudo alone = everything)
I love everything she does.
Tudo é possível.
Everything is possible.
Todos os problemas têm solução.
Every problem has a solution.
If a noun follows, it is todo + noun. If the word stands alone and refers to an abstract "everything," it is tudo. There is no agreement on tudo because it is invariable.
Contractions with prepositions
Many indefinite determiners contract with prepositions when preceded by em or de, following the same logic as other determiners.
Nalguns casos, é preciso esperar.
In some cases, you need to wait. (em + alguns = nalguns)
Em nenhuma parte do livro se menciona isso.
Nowhere in the book is that mentioned. (em + nenhuma stays separate)
Dalguns dos meus amigos não recebi resposta.
From some of my friends I didn't receive a reply. (de + alguns = dalguns, optional)
Estou noutra casa agora. (em + outra = noutra)
I'm in another house now.
Noutro dia continuamos.
Another day we'll continue.
Note: em + nenhum does not contract. The two words stay apart: em nenhum lado (nowhere), em nenhuma parte.
Stacking determiners
Portuguese allows some indefinite determiners to stack, and forbids others. Common legal stacks:
Todos os meus amigos vieram à festa.
All my friends came to the party. (todos + article + possessive)
Cada um dos meus filhos tem um carro.
Each one of my children has a car. (cada + um + de + article + possessive)
Alguns dos teus argumentos fazem sentido.
Some of your arguments make sense.
Muitas das minhas colegas são estrangeiras.
Many of my colleagues are foreign.
Where stacking is disallowed, Portuguese uses de + definite phrase to compose: alguns dos meus amigos (some of my friends), nenhum dos nossos colegas (none of our colleagues). The de + definite pattern is extremely productive.
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Using algum in a negative clause
Negative clauses require nenhum, not algum.
❌ Não tenho algum livro sobre isso.
Incorrect — after 'não', use 'nenhum'.
✅ Não tenho nenhum livro sobre isso.
I don't have any book about that.
Mistake 2: Todo vs tudo confusion
Todo modifies a noun; tudo stands alone.
❌ Ela faz todo.
Incorrect — 'todo' requires a noun. For 'everything', use 'tudo'.
✅ Ela faz tudo.
She does everything.
❌ Tudo os dias, ela vai ao ginásio.
Incorrect — 'tudo' is a pronoun. With a noun ('dias'), use 'todos'.
✅ Todos os dias, ela vai ao ginásio.
Every day, she goes to the gym.
Mistake 3: Certo position confusion
Before the noun = "a certain"; after = "correct."
❌ Ela deu uma certa resposta.
Acceptable but ambiguous — may be read as 'a certain answer' or 'a correct answer'. For 'the correct answer', use post-nominal.
✅ Ela deu a resposta certa.
She gave the correct answer.
✅ Certa pessoa disse-me isso.
A certain person told me that.
Mistake 4: Mesmo position confusion
Before the noun = "same"; after a pronoun or noun = "self" (emphatic). Learners often pick the wrong position.
❌ Nós estamos na equipa mesma.
Incorrect — 'mesma' meaning 'same' must come before the noun: 'na mesma equipa'.
✅ Estamos na mesma equipa.
We're on the same team.
✅ Eu mesmo vou fazer isto.
I'll do this myself. (mesmo after pronoun = emphatic)
Mistake 5: Agreement failures
All agreeing determiners must match the noun in gender and number.
❌ Algum pessoa disse-me isso.
Incorrect — 'pessoa' is feminine, so 'alguma'.
✅ Alguma pessoa disse-me isso.
Some person told me that.
❌ Muitos casas estão à venda.
Incorrect — 'casas' is feminine plural, so 'muitas'.
✅ Muitas casas estão à venda.
Many houses are for sale.
Mistake 6: Confusing cada (invariable) with agreeing forms
Cada never inflects.
❌ Cadas alunos receberam um livro.
Incorrect — 'cada' is invariable. And 'cada' takes a singular noun.
✅ Cada aluno recebeu um livro.
Each student received a book.
✅ Cada uma das minhas irmãs mora num país diferente.
Each of my sisters lives in a different country.
Mistake 7: Using qualquer with a singular where quaisquer (plural) is needed
The plural of qualquer is quaisquer — with an -i- inserted for plural. Learners often forget this.
❌ Em qualquer circunstâncias, é preciso manter a calma.
Incorrect — plural 'circunstâncias' requires 'quaisquer'.
✅ Em quaisquer circunstâncias, é preciso manter a calma.
Under any circumstances, one must keep calm.
Mistake 8: Forgetting the article after todo in a singular
Todo o livro (the whole book) requires the article. Dropping it changes the meaning to the generic "every book," which is awkward or archaic in modern speech.
❌ Li todo livro em uma noite. (modern speech)
Awkward in modern EP — for 'the whole book', use 'todo o livro'.
✅ Li todo o livro numa noite.
I read the whole book in one night.
Key Takeaways
- Most Portuguese indefinite determiners agree in gender and number with the noun: algum/alguma/alguns/algumas, muito/muita/muitos/muitas, todo/toda/todos/todas, vário/vária/vários/várias, and so on. Exceptions: cada (invariable) and qualquer / quaisquer (one form per number).
- Algum / nenhum are polarity-sensitive: use algum in positive/interrogative contexts, nenhum in negative ones. Double negation is obligatory — não + verb + nenhum or nenhum + verb.
- Algum placed after the noun with a negator produces emphatic negation: não tenho dúvida alguma (I have no doubt whatsoever).
- Qualquer means any in a free-choice sense, different from algum: qualquer livro = any book (whichever); algum livro = some book (unspecified).
- Todo has three uses by position: todos os X (all the X, plural), todo o X (the whole X, singular), todo X (every X, generic/literary).
- Cada is invariable and takes a singular noun: cada aluno, cada dia, cada um.
- Certo and mesmo are position-sensitive: pre-nominal certo = "a certain," post-nominal certo = "correct"; pre-nominal mesmo = "same," post-nominal/emphatic mesmo = "self, very."
- Todo vs tudo: todo is a determiner (needs a noun and agrees); tudo is an invariable pronoun meaning "everything."
- Contractions: em + algum = nalgum (optional but common in EP); em + outro = noutro; em + nenhum stays separate.
- When composing quantifier + definite noun phrase, use de + definite: alguns dos meus amigos, nenhum dos nossos livros, muitas das minhas colegas.
Related Topics
- Determiners in Portuguese: An OverviewA1 — What determiners are, the families of determiners in European Portuguese, and how they combine with nouns — a map of the group.
- The Definite Article: Forms and Basic UsesA1 — The four forms of the Portuguese definite article (o, a, os, as) and the contexts where European Portuguese requires it — including several where English leaves it out.
- The Indefinite Article: Forms and UsesA1 — The four forms of the Portuguese indefinite article (um, uma, uns, umas), their uses for introducing new referents, and where Portuguese drops the article that English keeps.
- Indefinite Pronouns (Alguém, Ninguém, Algo, Nada, Tudo)A2 — Referring to unspecified people and things — someone, no one, something, nothing, everything
- Algum vs Nenhum (Positive/Negative Indefinites)A2 — The agreeing indefinites algum and nenhum — some/any and none — with gender, number, and preposition contractions
- Double Negation (Não...nada, Não...ninguém)A2 — Using negative words with não — why Portuguese stacks negatives without cancelling them, the full list of paired constructions, and how to handle triple and quadruple negation.