Grammar Lesson 91:
The indefinite pronoun
The indefinite pronoun
The indefinite pronoun ognuno is used to refer to persons only.
It translates as "everyone / everybody" when referring to a non-specific group of people as a whole, and as "each" when referring to the elements of the whole taken separately.
| Masc. Singular | Fem. Singular | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ognuno | ognuna | everyone, each |
Ognuno has a feminine form but it is only found in the singular, therefore the verb that refers to it must always be used in the third-person singular:
- Ognuno conosce i propri desideri. (Everyone knows what they want.)
- Ognuna scelga il libro che preferisce. (Everyone - referring to female persons - pick the book they prefer.)
- Anna ha dato a ognuno un bacio. (Anna gave a kiss to everyone.)
Ognuno is often used in a partitive construction:
- Ognuno di noi sapeva cosa aspettarsi da lei. (Each of us knew what to expect of her.)
- Anna diede a ognuno dei suoi cugini un regalo. (Anna gave each of her cousins a gift.)
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