Some in Different Languages
Discover 'Some' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'some' is a small but mighty term, carrying significant meaning and versatility in the English language. It can be used to indicate a certain quantity or amount, express uncertainty, or even make a request. Moreover, its cultural importance extends beyond English, as it has equivalents in various languages around the world.
Did you know that 'some' can be traced back to Old English 'sum,' which means 'a certain amount'? This historical context highlights the enduring significance of this term in expressing quantity and quality. Understanding the translations of 'some' in different languages can enrich your cultural knowledge and enhance your communication skills.
For instance, in Spanish, 'some' translates to 'alguno' for masculine nouns and 'alguna' for feminine nouns. In French, 'some' can be translated to 'quelques' or 'un peu,' depending on the context. In German, 'some' is translated to 'einige' for plural nouns and 'ein paar' for countable nouns.
Some
Some in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | sommige | ||
| Afrikaans "sommige" evolved from "sommighe" in the 17th century, meaning "some" but also "some of the best" or "a number of" in Dutch. | |||
| Amharic | አንዳንድ | ||
| "አንዳንድ" can also refer to the number 'nine' or a type of sweet honey wine in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | wasu | ||
| Hausa "wasu" is also used to form the future tense of verbs, the past tense of the verb "kasance" ("to be"), and the conditional perfect tense of verbs. | |||
| Igbo | ụfọdụ | ||
| Ụfọdụ is derived from the verb ịfọ, which means 'to choose, select'. | |||
| Malagasy | sasany | ||
| The word "SASANY" in Malagasy has many other meanings, including "several", "a few", "a lot", "much", and "a little bit." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | ena | ||
| The word 'ena' can also refer to a particular or specific person or thing. | |||
| Shona | vamwe | ||
| The etymology of "vamwe" may derive from "rimwe," meaning "one," suggesting the notion of multiple or unspecified ones. | |||
| Somali | qaar | ||
| The Somali word "qaar" can also refer to "a few" or "a small number". | |||
| Sesotho | tse ling | ||
| The word "tse ling" also has the alternate meanings "few" and "small". | |||
| Swahili | baadhi | ||
| The word "baadhi" can also mean "a few" or "several" in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | ezinye | ||
| 'Ezinye is derived from the word 'ezinyeke', which means 'few'. | |||
| Yoruba | diẹ ninu | ||
| "Diẹ ninu" also means "within" in Yoruba, and can refer to a specific place or time frame. | |||
| Zulu | ezinye | ||
| In the context of Zulu cuisine, "ezinye" can also refer to "left-overs" or "food cooked for dinner and eaten for lunch the following day". | |||
| Bambara | dɔw | ||
| Ewe | ɖe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | bimwe | ||
| Lingala | mosusu | ||
| Luganda | -mu | ||
| Sepedi | dingwe | ||
| Twi (Akan) | bi | ||
Some in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | بعض | ||
| In some varieties of Arabic, "بعض" can also mean "a few" or "a little bit of." | |||
| Hebrew | כמה | ||
| The word "כמה" means "a few" but it also has another meaning: "how much/how many" in questions. | |||
| Pashto | ځینې | ||
| The word ځینې is also used to refer to "certain" people or things, or to indicate that something is "a few" or "a number of". | |||
| Arabic | بعض | ||
| In some varieties of Arabic, "بعض" can also mean "a few" or "a little bit of." | |||
Some in Western European Languages
| Albanian | disa | ||
| "Disa" is thought to derive from the Proto-Albanian root "*disā", meaning "a little, few", and is also cognate with the Illyrian verb "*disoũ", meaning "to give up". | |||
| Basque | batzuk | ||
| The word "batzuk" in Basque can also refer to the plural form of "one" or to a small number of people or things. | |||
| Catalan | alguns | ||
| In informal Catalan, "alguns" can also mean "a few" or "some people/things." | |||
| Croatian | neki | ||
| The word "neki" in Croatian shares its Slavic root with the Russian word "nekotoryy" and the Polish word "niektóry". | |||
| Danish | nogle | ||
| In Danish, "nogle" originally meant "enough" and was used as a plural form of "noget" (something). | |||
| Dutch | sommige | ||
| In 17th century Dutch, "sommige" also meant "a few", in which sense it is no longer used. | |||
| English | some | ||
| "Some" derives from an Old English word that meant "separate" or "particular". | |||
| French | certains | ||
| The word "certains" in French is derived from the Latin "certus" (sure), and can also mean "certain" or "definite". | |||
| Frisian | guon | ||
| The Frisian word "guon" is a contraction of the Middle Dutch "goe, goen", and it was originally used in the sense of "good". | |||
| Galician | algunhas | ||
| The Galician word "algunhas" can also mean "any" or "a few". | |||
| German | etwas | ||
| German "etwas" originally meant "out of this" in medieval German and derives from the word "etwaz" which in turn developed into "etwas." | |||
| Icelandic | sumar | ||
| In Icelandic, the word "sumar" can also refer to a lake or pond. | |||
| Irish | roinnt | ||
| The word roinnt is also used in a legal sense to mean 'share' or 'portion'. | |||
| Italian | alcuni | ||
| The Italian word 'alcuni', besides meaning 'some' or 'a few,' can also refer to 'certain ones,' especially in law or official documents. | |||
| Luxembourgish | e puer | ||
| The word "e puer" in Luxembourgish can also refer to a small amount or quantity. | |||
| Maltese | xi wħud | ||
| The word "xi wħud" is also used colloquially to mean "a few" or "several". | |||
| Norwegian | noen | ||
| The Norwegian word "noen" (some) originated from the Old Norse word "nǫkkurr", which could also mean "any" and "a few" | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | alguns | ||
| The Portuguese word "alguns" can also mean "certain ones" or "a few". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | cuid | ||
| The word 'cuid' can also refer to a part, piece, or portion of something. | |||
| Spanish | algunos | ||
| "Algunos" is the plural form of "alguno" which derives from the Arabic "al-jūn" meaning "the people". | |||
| Swedish | några | ||
| The word "några" comes from the Old Swedish word "nogri", meaning "enough". | |||
| Welsh | rhai | ||
| The word "rhai" in Welsh can also mean "a number of" or "several" | |||
Some in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | некаторыя | ||
| "Heкaторыя" may originate from the Polish word "niektórzy" | |||
| Bosnian | neke | ||
| The word "neke" in Bosnian can also refer to "a few" or "several". | |||
| Bulgarian | някои | ||
| The word "някои" in Bulgarian can also mean "a few" or "certain". | |||
| Czech | nějaký | ||
| The word "nějaký" can also mean "any" or "a certain", and its root is "něk-," which means "someone" or "something." | |||
| Estonian | mõned | ||
| "Mõned" in Estonian can also mean "various" or "particular". | |||
| Finnish | jonkin verran | ||
| The word "jonkin verran" is a conjunction that means "to some extent" or "in some measure". | |||
| Hungarian | néhány | ||
| Néhány has also a non-standard meaning, which is 'quite a lot' or 'many' | |||
| Latvian | daži | ||
| The word "daži" in Latvian is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *dʰweh- meaning "to give" or "to divide." | |||
| Lithuanian | kai kurie | ||
| In addition to "some," "kai kurie" can also mean "a few" or "several" in Lithuanian. | |||
| Macedonian | некои | ||
| In the Cyrillic Macedonian alphabet it is written "некои" and originates from a Proto-Balto-Slavic language and is cognate with the Russian "neko". | |||
| Polish | trochę | ||
| The Polish word "trochę" originates from the Proto-Slavic "trochu", meaning "a little", and is related to the Latin "trochus" and Greek "trochos", both meaning "something round". | |||
| Romanian | niste | ||
| The Romanian word "niste" originated from the Slavic word "něstb" meaning "few". | |||
| Russian | некоторые | ||
| The word некоторые can also refer to a certain group of people or things | |||
| Serbian | неки | ||
| The word "неки" is derived from the Proto-Slavic "někъто", meaning "somebody" or "a certain person". | |||
| Slovak | niektoré | ||
| "Niektoré" in Slovak also means "somehow", "by some means", and "to some extent". | |||
| Slovenian | nekaj | ||
| Related to the Russian 'nekotorij' and Bulgarian 'nekoja', both meaning 'some'. | |||
| Ukrainian | дещо | ||
| The Ukrainian word "дещо" (some) is also related to the Old Church Slavonic "дѣло" (work) and the Russian "дело" (matter, business). | |||
Some in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | কিছু | ||
| "কিছু", from the Sanskrit word "किश्चित्" (kichit), primarily means "a little", but can also mean "something", "a few", or "a certain amount". | |||
| Gujarati | કેટલાક | ||
| કેટલાક (ketlak) is related to 'ket' meaning 'how many', and also to the word 'ko' which means 'who'. In Gujarati, 'ko' can also mean 'who' or 'which'. | |||
| Hindi | कुछ | ||
| The word 'कुछ' can also mean 'a little' or 'to some extent'. | |||
| Kannada | ಕೆಲವು | ||
| ಕೆಲವು is cognate with ಕೆಲ ( | |||
| Malayalam | ചിലത് | ||
| ചിലത് in Malayalam also refers to a specific quantity or variety, implying 'some' or 'certain'. | |||
| Marathi | काही | ||
| In Marathi, the word "काही" can also refer to "anything" or "a little bit". | |||
| Nepali | केहि | ||
| केहि can also be used to mean "a bit," "slightly," or "somewhat." | |||
| Punjabi | ਕੁੱਝ | ||
| Its usage is not restricted to refer to a few, but can also denote a large number of people or things. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සමහර | ||
| The word "සමහර" ("some") in Sinhala is derived from the Sanskrit word "samāhara" meaning "to collect" or "to gather". | |||
| Tamil | சில | ||
| The word "சில" in Tamil shares its etymology with "சிலை" meaning "image," and also means "a few" in colloquial usage. | |||
| Telugu | కొన్ని | ||
| కొన్ని (konni) is also a noun meaning 'a few' or 'a little bit'. | |||
| Urdu | کچھ | ||
| The Urdu word "کچھ" also means a small amount or quantity | |||
Some in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 一些 | ||
| 古代汉语中，“一些”还指代一定数量的钱币。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 一些 | ||
| “一些”在古代汉语中还有“一批、一类”的意思。 | |||
| Japanese | いくつか | ||
| In older written Japanese, いくつか can also mean "a few hundred" | |||
| Korean | 약간 | ||
| The word "약간" can also mean "slightly" or "a little bit". | |||
| Mongolian | зарим нь | ||
| The term "зарим нь" can also refer to a limited or specific quantity or number in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အချို့ | ||
Some in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | beberapa | ||
| The word 'beberapa' can also mean 'a certain number of' or 'a few'. | |||
| Javanese | sawetara | ||
| Javanese "sawetara" can also mean "several," "a few," or "sometime" | |||
| Khmer | ខ្លះ | ||
| The word ខ្លះ (khlăh) can also mean "part" or "section". | |||
| Lao | ບາງ | ||
| The word "ບາງ" in Lao can also mean "a little bit" or "partially". | |||
| Malay | beberapa | ||
| "Beberapa" can mean "some" or the number "a few" in Javanese and Sundanese. | |||
| Thai | บาง | ||
| The Thai word บาง (pronounced "bang") can mean not only "some" but also "a little bit" or "thinly spread." | |||
| Vietnamese | một số | ||
| The word "một số" can also mean "a number" or "a few" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ilang | ||
Some in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | bəzi | ||
| Also spelled “bəziləri,” “bəzi” means “some” and is cognate with the Turkish “bazı” meaning “some.” | |||
| Kazakh | кейбіреулері | ||
| In Kazakh, "кейбіреулері" can be used as a quantifier, but is often used when the quantity is unknown and not definite. | |||
| Kyrgyz | кээ бирлери | ||
| The word "кээ бирлери" can also mean "there are those who" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | баъзе | ||
| The word "баъзе" in Tajik shares its root with the Persian word "بعض" which means "some part" or "a portion" | |||
| Turkmen | käbirleri | ||
| Uzbek | biroz | ||
| "Birozi" can also mean "each" or "any" in Uzbek language. | |||
| Uyghur | بەزىلىرى | ||
Some in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kekahi | ||
| The word 'kekahi' can also be used to refer to 'a part of something' or 'a group of people'. | |||
| Maori | etahi | ||
| The word etahi can also refer to the idea of 'some', 'a few', or 'several' depending on the context. | |||
| Samoan | nisi | ||
| The word "nisi" can also mean "except" or "but" in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | ang ilan | ||
| The word "ang ilan" can also refer to a specific number of people or things, as in "ang ilan sa mga estudyante" (some of the students). | |||
Some in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | yaqha | ||
| Guarani | peteĩva | ||
Some in International Languages
| Esperanto | iuj | ||
| "Iuj" is also a root in words like "iuĝi" (to judge) or "iukoj" (Jews). | |||
| Latin | aliquid | ||
| "Aliquid," related to the Greek "allos," means "other" and "different" as well. | |||
Some in Others Languages
| Greek | μερικοί | ||
| Με το ρήμα "μερικεύω" (merikevō) εννοούμε την προτίμηση ενός μικρότερου μέρους από ένα μεγαλύτερο, ενώ η ονομαστική φράση "το μέρος" υποδηλώνει μικρή ποσότητα. | |||
| Hmong | ib co | ||
| The Hmong word "ib co" can also refer to a group of people or animals. | |||
| Kurdish | hin | ||
| The Kurdish word "hin" is related to the Old Persian word "aina," meaning "one," and the Avestan word "aēna," meaning "any." | |||
| Turkish | biraz | ||
| The word "biraz" in Turkish comes from the Persian word "bir az", meaning "a little bit" or "a small amount". | |||
| Xhosa | ezinye | ||
| 'Ezinye is derived from the word 'ezinyeke', which means 'few'. | |||
| Yiddish | עטלעכע | ||
| 'עטלעכע' is related to the German word 'etliche', which also means 'some'. | |||
| Zulu | ezinye | ||
| In the context of Zulu cuisine, "ezinye" can also refer to "left-overs" or "food cooked for dinner and eaten for lunch the following day". | |||
| Assamese | কিছুমান | ||
| Aymara | yaqha | ||
| Bhojpuri | कुछु | ||
| Dhivehi | ބައެއް | ||
| Dogri | चंद | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ilang | ||
| Guarani | peteĩva | ||
| Ilocano | sumagmamano | ||
| Krio | sɔm | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | هەندێک | ||
| Maithili | किछु | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯈꯔ | ||
| Mizo | engemawzat | ||
| Oromo | muraasa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | କେତେକ | ||
| Quechua | wakin | ||
| Sanskrit | केचन | ||
| Tatar | кайберләре | ||
| Tigrinya | ንእሽተይ | ||
| Tsonga | xin'wana | ||