certains

Certains is the masculine plural form of the French adjective certain. It can function as a determiner before a noun or as a pronoun on its own, with the feminine plural form being certaines. The term is used in various contexts to indicate a subset of a larger group rather than the whole.

As a determiner, certains typically means “some” or “a number of,” signaling a non-specified portion of a larger set. It agrees with the noun it modifies: certains livres, certains étudiants. As a pronoun, it can stand alone to refer to that subset: Certains pensent que le plan est faisable.

It is important to note a potential source of confusion with the singular form certain, which in French can mean “certain” or “sure,” a meaning distinct from the plural determiner or pronoun. The feminine forms are certaines (determiner or pronoun) and certaines (masculine/feminine distinction in plural is marked by the ending). The nuance of usage often implies partial inclusion within a group and is common in discourse about opinions, characteristics, or attributes of a subset.

Etymologically, certain derives from Latin certus, meaning decided or sure, and it shares a common lineage with the English word certain. In modern French, the plural forms certain(s) function independently from the English word and are used primarily in descriptive or argumentative statements.

Examples:

- Certains étudiants ont choisi de partir en voyage.

- Certains pensent que la solution est viable.

See also: French adjectives, French pronouns, grammatical agreement.