quelqu'un

French

Etymology

From quelque +‎ un.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɛl.k‿œ̃/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -œ̃

Pronoun

quelqu’un m (feminine (rare) quelqu’une, masculine plural quelques-uns, feminine plural (rare) quelques-unes)

1. (dated) one (out of several)

   Synonyms: un, l’un

2. (in the masculine singular) someone, somebody, anyone, anybody

   Il y a quelqu’un ici qui parle français ?

   Is there anybody here who speaks French?

   Je voudrais parler avec quelqu’un d’autre.

   I would like to speak with someone else.

3. (in the masculine singular) (colloquial) (a) somebody (someone singular or notable, i.e., who stands apart from most others in importance, skill, merit, etc.)
4. (in the plural; used with de, en or an antecedent) some

   J’ai lu quelques-uns de ces livres. ― I have read some of these books.

5. (in the masculine plural) some people, certain

Usage notes

• The feminine singular is uncommon.
• To qualify with an adjective, the preposition de must be used:

  C’est quelqu’un de gentil.

  He is a nice person. (He is someone nice).

Abbreviations

• qqn, qqns

See also

• l’on
• on

Further reading

• “quelqu'un”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.