Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| cualquiera | /kwalˈkjeɾa/ | |
| quien | /ˈkjen/ /kjen/ |
|
| alguien | /ˈalɡjen/ | |
| cada hijo de vecino | /ˌkada ˌixo de beˈθino/ /ˌkada ˌixo de beˈsino/ |
colloquial, masculine |
| cualquier hijo de vecino | /kwalˌkjeɾ ˌixo de beˈθino/ /kwalˌkjeɾ ˌixo de beˈsino/ |
colloquial, masculine, alternative form |
The word you choose depends on whether you are referring to an unspecified person or emphasizing that the identity of the person is irrelevant. While alguien is used for an unspecified person in positive or interrogative sentences, cualquiera is used to mean 'any person at all' or 'any old person,' emphasizing that it doesn't matter who they are. Additionally, the phrase quien sea is a synonym for 'anyone' that carries the meaning of 'whoever'.
Which one should you use?
Use alguien when you mean 'someone' or 'anyone' in a general sense. Use cualquiera to emphasize that the person is just 'anybody' or 'any old person' and that their specific identity is unimportant. For a more dismissive tone, you can use the colloquial phrases cada hijo de vecino or its alternative spelling cualquier hijo de vecino, both of which refer to 'any random person'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The phrase cada hijo de vecino and its variant cualquier hijo de vecino are colloquial and should be used to refer to 'any old person' or 'any random person' in a dismissive way.
How does it change in a sentence?
The indefinite pronoun alguien does not change for gender or number.
How do you pronounce it?
/kwalˈkjeɾa/
What mistakes should you avoid?
When making a negative statement to express that 'no one' or 'nobody' was present, use nadie.
Did you know?
- The word cualquiera is built from cual, meaning 'which', and quiera, which means 'it may want'.
- Using cualquiera to describe a person can be an insult, as it implies the person is unremarkable or mediocre.
Examples in context
- ¿Me ha oído alguien?Did anyone hear me?This sentence is useful for asking if anyone heard the speaker using alguien.Tatoeba #3672441 by Shishir, translation #2092489 by CK
- ¿Te vio alguien más?Did anyone else see you?This sentence is useful for asking if anyone else saw the person using alguien.Tatoeba #13593594 by Seael, translation #9358488 by megamanenm
- ¿Alguien más vio esto?Has anyone else seen this?This sentence is useful for asking if anyone else saw an object using alguien.Tatoeba #2998308 by marcelostockle, translation #2997158 by CK
- ¿Alguien más vendrá a la reunión hoy?Will anyone else come to the meeting today?
- ¿Alguien podría ayudarme con este problema?Could anyone help me with this problem?
- No ha venido nadie a la conferencia aún.No one has come to the conference yet.
- 281 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and María are talking about a party where they don't know many people.
- JavierCualquiera puede venir a la fiesta.Anyone can come to the party.
- MaríaNo sé si es buena idea.I don't know if that's a good idea.
- JavierPero es una fiesta abierta.But it is an open party.
- MaríaCualquiera podría traer problemas.Anyone could bring trouble.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “anyone” translations and entries cualquiera, quien, alguien, cada hijo de vecino, cualquier hijo de vecino, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries alguien, cada, cualquiera, de, hijo, quien, vecino, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
