Breakdown of Certains participants sont en retard aujourd'hui.
être
to be
aujourd'hui
today
en retard
late, delayed
certain
certain / some (certains, certaine, certaines)
Questions & Answers about Certains participants sont en retard aujourd'hui.
Why is certains masculine plural here, and is it a pronoun or an adjective?
In this sentence, certains is an indefinite adjective because it is placed directly before the noun participants. Since participants is masculine plural, certains takes the masculine plural form. If it were a pronoun, it would stand completely on its own, like: Certains sont en retard (Some are late).
Wait, doesn't certain mean sure? Why does it mean some here?
It can mean both, depending on where you put it! When placed before the noun, as in certains participants, it means some or a certain group of. If you place it after a noun or use it as a standard adjective describing a state, it means sure or positive (for example, un fait certain means a sure fact).
Could I use quelques instead of certains in this sentence?
Why do we use en retard instead of just tard for late?