6.3. Expressions with Indefinite Words

nota

When using an adjective with the indefinite pronouns "qualcausa" ("something") or "necausa" ("nothing"), the adjective must be masculine. In line with the diversity of Romance languages, the preposition "de" is optional. For example, "Necausa de bòno" and "Necausa bòno" are equally valid options.

Qualcausa (Something)

Qualcausa assí	Something like that
Qualcausa (de) altro	Something else
Ja èst qualcausa. / Èst ja qualcausa.	It’s something. / It’s a start.
Havere qualcausa ad vedere con	To have something to do with
Qualcausa non va.	Something is wrong.
Qualcausa non quadra.	Something does not add up.
Qualcausina	A little something

info

A humorous version of the phrase "Qualcausa non quadra" is "Qualquadra non causa" or "Qualquadra que non causa" where part of the word "qualcausa" and "quadra" are switched. This is inspired by the Italian "Qualcosa non quadra" and its corresponding humorous version "Qualquadra non cosa". The mixture of elements is not only funny in its own right, but also derives humor in a situational context, where the speaker of the phrase emphasizes how suspicious a situation is with an equally strange phrase.

Necausa (Nothing)

Necausa plus / Necausa màis / Necausa de altro	Nothing more / Nothing else
Plus que necausa	More than anything
Non havere necausa de	To not have any / To have no
De necausa.	You are welcome.
Per necausa	At all
Quasi necausa	Almost nothing / Hardly anything
Non servire por necausa	To be useless / To not be useful for anything
Non havere necausa ad vedere con	To have nothing to do with / To not have anything to do with
Necausa (de) inusuale / Necausa (de) insòlito	Nothing unusual
Non hi ha necausa (de) malo en...	There is nothing wrong with...
Non me dice necausa.	It doesn't ring a bell.
Necausa male!	Not bad!
Necausa nòvas, bònas nòvas.	No news is good news.
Necausa de necausa / Absolutamente necausa	Absolutely nothing

Necuno (No one / Nobody)

Necuno plus / Necuno màis / Necuno de altro	No one else / Nobody else