Algum vs. Nenhum: Say ‘Some,’ ‘Any,’ and ‘None’ in Portuguese
Algum/alguma can mean ‘some’ or ‘any’; nenhum/nenhuma means ‘none’ or ‘not any’ and agrees with the noun.
Real Life Portuguese · 5 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
Algum, alguma, alguns, and algumas refer to an unspecified person or thing. Before a noun, they often mean ‘some’ or ‘any’: algum problema? (any problem?), algumas ideias (some ideas). The form agrees with the noun in gender and number.
Use algum for an unspecified option or quantity
After a negative word, algum may mean ‘any’ in some Brazilian sentences, but nenhum is a very clear way to say ‘not any.’ In questions, the intended English translation depends on whether the speaker expects an answer or offers a possibility.
Você tem alguma pergunta?
Do you have any questions?
A gente pode marcar para algum dia da semana que vem.
We can schedule it for some day next week.
Trouxe alguns documentos para você.
I brought some documents for you.
Use nenhum to say there are zero options
Nenhum, nenhuma, nenhuns, and nenhumas mean ‘none,’ ‘no,’ or ‘not any,’ depending on the sentence. They agree with the noun: nenhum problema, nenhuma resposta, nenhumas dúvidas. In a sentence where nenhum follows the verb, não commonly appears before the verb too: não tenho nenhum problema.
If nenhum begins the clause, it can express the negative without não: nenhuma resposta chegou (no answer arrived). This follows the same negative agreement pattern used with ninguém and nada.
Não recebi nenhuma confirmação.
I didn’t receive any confirmation.
Nenhum dos ônibus para aqui.
None of the buses stop here.
Não temos nenhum quarto disponível hoje.
We don’t have any rooms available today.
Put it into practice
Use algum/alguma for an unspecified option or amount. Use nenhum/nenhuma when the amount is zero, and match the form to the noun.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “I brought some documents for you”?
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