How French works
An indefinite word is one which indicates identity or quantity in a general or non-specific way. It can be can be an indefinite pronoun (as with quelqu'un), an indefinite adverb (as with n'importe où) or an indefinite adjective (as with n'importe quel).
When used as an adjective , autre is always preceded by a determiner . Note that un / une autre becomes d'autres in the plural:
Viens un autre jour
Come another day
L'autre livre était plus cher
The other book was more expensive
Avez-vous d'autres pullovers dans ce style?
Do you have any other jumpers in this style?
D'autres (and not *des autres) is also used in the pronoun form:
Aucun de ces pullovers est à ma taille. Est-ce que vous en avez d'autres dans ce style?
None of these jumpers fit me. Do you have any others in this style?
Tel is usually preceded by the indefinite article un / une, or de in the plural :
Une telle perspicacité est rare chez les enfants
Such perceptiveness is rare in children
De telles erreurs sont compréhensibles chez les débutants
Mistakes like that are understandable in beginners
Note that plusieurs, which is always plural , has no special feminine form:
Il y a plusieurs voitures dans leur allée - ils ont sûrement invité des amis
[and not *plusieures voitures...]
There are several cars in their drive - they must have invited friends over
When used before a noun différent has the sense of various:
Le comité a examiné différentes possibilités avant d'arriver à une décision
The committee considered various options before arriving at a decision
When used after a noun différent has the sense of different:
En ce qui concerne la politique, ils ont souvent des points de vue différents
When it comes to politics, they often have different points of view
Chaque is a singular adjective and has only one form, whilst chacun(e) is a singular pronoun :
Chaque passage de la chanson à la radio lui rapporte des droits d'auteurs
Each time the song is played on the radio he earns royalities
Chacune de ses chansons lui rapporte des droits d'auteurs
Each of his songs earns him royalities
When expressing frequency, tous / toutes les is generally preferred:
Le conseil des ministres se tient tous les mercredis matin
The Cabinet meets every Wednesday morning
When used as an adjective , tout must always agree with the noun to which it is referring. When used with a determiner such as le or mon it means all:
Tous les articles pris lors du cambriolage ont été retrouvés
All the items taken during the burglary were retrieved
When used without a determiner it has the more hypothetical sense of any:
Tout Français qui se respecte le saurait
Any self-respecting Frenchman would know that
The adjective tout is often used with a demonstrative pronoun :
Il va faire une liste de tous ceux / toutes celles qui veulent venir
He's going to make a list of all those who want to come
Watch the spelling when tout is used with ce qui or ce que:
Tout ce qui [and not *tous qui] compte c'est qu'il est revenu sain et sauf
All that matters is that he has returned safely
When used as a pronoun referring to something specific, tout agrees with the noun which it is replacing. Note that the final -s of tous is pronounced:
Il y a beaucoup de restaurants en ville mais tous sont fermés le lundi
There are a lot of restaurants in town, but they're all closed on Mondays
Where tout is used without referring to a specific noun it has the meaning of everything:
Grâce à lui, tout a été réglé
Thanks to him, everything has been sorted out
Where tous / toutes are used without referring to a specific noun they have the meaning everyone:
C'est un homme qui était aimé de tous
He was man who was loved by everyone
When used as an adverb , tout means all in the sense of completely, very. Note that it is invariable in front of masculine adjectives but not feminine adjectives beginning with a consonant :
Tes cheveux sont tout mouillés
Your hair is all wet
Ta robe est toute froissée
Your dress is all creased
An agreement is optional in front of feminine adjectives beginning with a vowel or aspirated h:
Elle était tout(e) excitée / heureuse d'avoir réussi ses examens
She was very excited / happy at having passed her exams
Tous / toutes les deux can be used to express the English both:
Ses deux fils / filles l'ont tous / toutes les deux suivi dans la profession
His two sons / daughters both followed him into the profession