Modern Spanish Grammar: A Practical Guide

13Indefinite and negativepronouns and adjectivesIndefinite pronouns and adjectives denote very general, unspecific concepts, like‘someone’, ‘something’. Many of them have negative counterparts, like ‘nobody’,‘nothing’.13.1Alguno and ninguno(a) Alguno as an adjective has the meaning ‘some’, and agrees with its noun in thenormal way (see 2 and 3). It is shortened to algún before a masculine singular noun (see5.1). Ninguno ‘no’, its negative counterpart, behaves similarly, although ninguno isnowadays rarely used in the plural.algunas flores ‘some flowers’algún libro ‘some book’ninguna manzana ‘no apple(s)’(b) alguno may be used after a singular noun with a negative meaning (the equivalentof ninguno):No tengo libro alguno.I haven’t got a single book.(c) Alguno and ninguno (the latter again only in the singular) are also used aspronouns:Alguna de ellas intentó contestar.One of them tried to answer.Algunos murmuraron contra el presidente.Some grumbled about the president.Ninguno de mis amigos estaba dispuesto a ayudarme.None of my friends was prepared to help me.13.2Alguien and nadie52Alguien has the meaning ‘someone’, ‘somebody’: It is invariable. Nadie ‘no one’,‘nobody’, is its negative counterpart.