Ways to translate “some” into French

English uses “some” in many ways. French does not have one single match. The choice depends on whether you speak about a count noun or a mass noun, whether the amount is known, and whether you mean an unknown group or a rough number.

Partitive articles: du, de la, de l’, des

Use these for an unspecified amount of a thing. This is the most common match for “some” with food, drink, and other mass nouns, and also with plural count nouns.

• Je veux du pain. “I want some bread.”
• Elle boit de la soupe. “She drinks some soup.”
• Il a acheté de l’eau. “He bought some water.”
• Nous avons des amis ici. “We have some friends here.”

Key points:

• du = masculine singular mass
• de la = feminine singular mass
• de l’ = before a vowel or silent h
• des = plural count nouns

After a negative, these often change to de:

• Je n’ai pas de pain. “I do not have any bread.”
• Ils n’ont pas d’amis ici. “They do not have any friends here.”

“Some” meaning “a few” or “a certain number”: quelques

Use quelques with plural count nouns when you mean a small number.

• J’ai quelques questions. “I have some questions.”
• Elle a lu quelques livres. “She read some books.”
• Nous restons quelques jours. “We stay for some days.”

This tends to be more precise than des. It suggests a limited number.

Compare:

• J’ai des questions. “I have some questions.”
• J’ai quelques questions. “I have a few questions.”

“Some” meaning “around, about”: environ, à peu près

When “some” gives a rough figure, use an adverb.

• Il y avait environ cent personnes. “There were some hundred people.”
• Ça coûte à peu près vingt euros. “It costs some twenty euros.”

“Some” meaning “an unspecified person or thing”: un certain, une certaine, certains, certaines

Use these when you point to an unknown or not yet named person or thing.

• Un certain homme a appelé. “Some man called.”
• Elle a une certaine idée. “She has some idea.”
• Certains étudiants manquent le cours. “Some students miss the class.”

Here certains often means “some but not all.”

“Some” in questions and offers

In English, “some” often appears in polite offers or requests. French still uses the partitive or des.

• Voulez-vous du café ? “Would you like some coffee?”
• Tu veux des biscuits ? “Do you want some biscuits?”

“Some” meaning “any” in questions or negatives

English may use “some” where French prefers de after a negative, or simply the partitive in a question.

• As-tu du temps ? “Do you have some time?”
• Je n’ai pas de temps. “I do not have any time.”

“Some” as a pronoun: en

When “some” stands alone, French often uses en to avoid repetition.

• Tu veux du pain ? Oui, j’en veux. “Do you want some bread? Yes, I want some.”
• Elle a des pommes ? Oui, elle en a. “Does she have some apples? Yes, she has some.”

Emphatic “some”: bien, vraiment, pas mal de

Sometimes “some” adds force, as in “some mistake” or “some effort.” French uses adverbs or set phrases.

• C’est bien une erreur. “That is some mistake.”
• Il a fait pas mal de progrès. “He made some progress.”
• C’est vraiment quelque chose. “That is some thing.”

“Some” meaning “a certain amount of time”: un peu de, quelque temps

Use these for time spans.

• Attends un peu. “Wait some.”
• Je reste quelque temps. “I stay for some time.”

“Some” meaning “some of”: de, parmi

When you refer to part of a known group, use de or parmi.

• Certains des étudiants partent. “Some of the students leave.”
• Parmi eux, certains refusent. “Some of them refuse.”

Synonyms and alternatives

Depending on tone and context, French offers close options:

• plusieurs for “several”
  • Plusieurs personnes arrivent. “Some people arrive.”
• un peu de for a small amount
  • Je veux un peu de sucre. “I want some sugar.”
• pas mal de for quite a lot
  • Il a pas mal d’argent. “He has some money.”
• quelque before a number for approximation
  • Quelque vingt personnes sont venues. “Some twenty people came.”
• des vs quelques contrast
  • Des amis viennent. “Some friends come.”
  • Quelques amis viennent. “A few friends come.”

Common contrasts

• Mass vs count:
  • Du pain vs des pommes
  • “Some bread” vs “some apples”
• Vague vs limited number:
  • Des livres vs quelques livres
  • “Some books” vs “a few books”
• Unknown identity:
  • Un certain homme
  • “Some man”
• Part of a group:
  • Certains des élèves
  • “Some of the students”

Summary

• Use du, de la, de l’, des for an unspecified amount.
• Use quelques for a small number.
• Use un certain, certains for unknown or not named people or things.
• Use environ, à peu près for rough numbers.
• Use en when “some” stands alone.
• Adjust to de after a negative in most cases.