Qualche Problema Posted by Geoff on Feb 26, 2018 in Grammar
Indefinite adjectives are used to indicate an undefined number or quality of things or persons. They’re mostly straightforward, but there’s an important exception that can easily trip you up.
Probably the most frequently used aggettivo indefinito (indefinite adjective) is qualche, which means ‘some’, ‘any’, or ‘a few’. The confusing thing about qualche is that although it expresses the idea of plurality, it’s always used in the singular. So, what does that actually mean in practice? Let’s look at a few examples:
A qualche persona piacerebbe molto abitare vicino al mare. Some people would really like to live near the sea. Photo of Serena by Geoff
The very strong wind has knocked down some trees
Il vento fortissimo ha abbattuto qualche albero
We went to the Naval Museum a few weeks ago
Siamo andati al Museo Navale qualche settimana fa
Are there any nice places to visit near Parma?
C’è qualche bel posto da visitare vicino a Parma?
Unfortunately there have been a few problems with the documents
Purtroppo c’è stato qualche problema coi documenti
As you can see from the examples above, sentences using qualche are always constructed in the singular. So whereas in English we say ‘Are there any nice places …’, in Italian we say ‘C’è qualche bel posto …’ which, if you translate it literally, means ‘Is there any nice place’. Yes, it sounds strange and illogical, and will definitely cause you some uncertainty and confusion until you get used to it.
Another common indefinite article, which can be interchangeable with qualche, is alcuni/alcune, which, you’ll be glad to hear, closely resembles its English counterpart in that it is only used in its plural form (apart from in negative constructions – see below). Here are the same example sentences from above, but this time using alcuni/e:
The very strong wind has knocked down some trees
Il vento fortissimo ha abbattuto alcuni alberi
We went to the Naval Museum a few weeks ago
Siamo andati al Museo Navale alcune settimane fa
Are there any nice places to visit near Parma?
Ci sono alcuni bei posti da visitare vicino a Parma?
Unfortunately there have been a few problems with the documents
Purtroppo ci sono stati alcuni problemi coi documenti
As you can see from the examples above, sentences using alcuni/e are always constructed in the plural.
N.B. alcun/alcuno/alcuna (the singular forms of alcuni/alcune) are only used in negative sentences. As with qualche, they are also followed by the singular. For example:
I don’t know any good restaurants near here
Non conosco alcun buon ristorante qui vicino
I didn’t buy any plants on the market
Non ho comprato alcuna pianta al mercato
However, in colloquial Italian it’s far more common to use nessun/nessuno/nessuna (lit. nobody or nothing), For example:
I don’t know any good restaurants near here
Non conosco nessun buon ristorante qui vicino
You may also find the following blog useful: How to say Any in Italian
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Comments:
Brad:
Fantastic! thank you. This really helps, looks like I’ve been using these wrong for years… 🙂
Geoff:
@Brad Non c’è di che Brad, grazie per il tuo commento! 🙂
Alexandra:
Very helpful post! Thank you!
Geoff:
@Alexandra Figurati Alexandra! 🙂
Joan Engelhaupt:
Hi! Can you explain the change from “coi” to “con i” in these examples: Purtroppo c’è stato qualche problema coi documenti
Purtroppo ci sono stati alcuni problemi con i documenti
Thank you!
Serena:
@Joan Engelhaupt Salve Joan! It’s my fault, when I checked Geoff’s post, I edited the first sentence but not the second one. However, both versions are correct, i.e. ‘con i’ and ‘coi’, but the second one is the preferred one. I’ve now edited the second sentence, so there’s no more discrepancy between the two sentences. Sorry for the confusion!
Saluti da Serena
Heather:
I was wondering how to say “unless”. I know about “a meno che non,” followed by the Congiuntivo. Is there any difference in the context in which one can use “se non” followed by the Indicative? If there is,could you give me some examples,please? Thank you.
Heather.
Rosalind:
Thank you for the beautifully clear explanations, as always.
Geoff:
@Rosalind Figurati Rosalind! 🙂
Jim Villone:
What about the uses of qualsiasi, qualche and qualunque?
Geoff:
@Jim Villone Salve Jim, qual era la tua domanda … non ho capito.
A presto, Geoff
Jim Villone:
@Geoff Are there similar conventions for constructions using qualsiasi, and qualunque? Do these words always match the quantity of the object, or are they always used in the singular like qualche?
Geoff:
@Jim Villone Ciao Jim, qualsiasi and qualunque are in a slightly different category from qualche because they are more emphatic or specific in nature.
So whereas qualche means a generic ‘some’ or ‘any’, qualsiasi and qualunque have the meaning of ‘whichever’, ‘whatever’, ‘whenever’ and so on.
For example:
qualunque strada prendi arriverai sempre in ritardo = whichever road you take you’ll still get there late
qualsiasi problema ci dovesse essere chiamami = whatever problem there may be, call me
se hai bisogno vieni da ma a qualsiasi ora = if the need help, come and see me at any time (whenever you like)
As with qualche they are always used in the singular.
Hope that helps. A presto, Geoff
John Mattson:
Looks like a typo bei instead of bel.. “Ci sono alcuni bei posti” couple of places. (one good reason to use serif fonts instead)
Geoff:
@John Mattson I’m not sure what you mean John, “Ci sono alcuni bei posti da visitare” is 100% correct. Would you care to explain please?
Rosalind:
@John Mattson: “bei” is the plural form of “bello” for use before masculine words starting with a consonant.
Geoff:
@Rosalind Esatto, grazie Rosalind! 🙂
Sahib:
This is just HUGISSIMOOO HELP!! Thank you guys!!!!!
Geoff:
@Sahib You’re welcomissimo Sahib!!! 😉