Finding "Some" Things: The Determiner wat
You likely already know the word wat as the question word "what". However, wat has a second, very common job in Dutch: it acts as an indefinite determiner meaning "some" or "a few".
When you place wat directly in front of a plural count noun, it refers to an unspecified, usually small quantity of those items.
| I often browse at the flea market and look for some books. | Ik neus vaak rond op de rommelmarkt en zoek wat boeken. |
| There are some bargains here among the silverware. | Er liggen hier wat koopjes tussen het zilverwerk. |
Browsing the Flea Market
Using wat is perfectly suited for describing the random assortments of items you stumble across when browsing (rondneuzen) or rummaging (snuffelen) at a local flea market (de rommelmarkt).
| She sells some trinkets that are quite peculiar. | Zij verkoopt wat snuisterijen die nogal eigenaardig zijn. |
If you find a few things you like, you might even want to try to haggle (afdingen) to get the best price!
| It is quite difficult to haggle on some plates. | Het is best moeilijk om op wat borden af te dingen. |
| Suppose we find some beautiful candlesticks while rummaging? | Stel dat we wat mooie kandelaars vinden tijdens het snuffelen? |
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