Describing Quantities: Sommige, Enkele, and Verschillende
When shopping or comparing products, you will often want to talk about specific subgroups or indefinite quantities. You can use sommige (some), enkele (a few), and verschillende (various / several) directly in front of plural nouns.
| I prefer to buy some items online. | Sommige artikelen koop ik liever online. |
| I always read a few reviews about the item. | Ik lees altijd enkele recensies over het artikel. |
| This online store sells various items. | Deze webshop verkoopt verschillende artikelen. |
When these words are used directly before a noun, they do not get any extra endings—even when that noun refers to people.
| Some consumers buy this brand because it is very popular. | Sommige consumenten kopen dit merk omdat het erg populair is. |
The -n Rule for People: Sommigen and Enkelen
Dutch has a strict spelling rule for these quantifiers when they act as standalone pronouns.
If the word stands completely on its own (without a noun right after it) AND it refers specifically to people, you must add an -n to the end: sommigen and enkelen.
| The shopkeepers give a warranty, but some do not do that. | De winkeliers geven garantie, maar sommigen doen dat niet. |
| There are many consumers, but a few buy nothing. | Er zijn veel consumenten, maar enkelen kopen niets. |
Referring Back to Things
If a quantifier stands alone but refers to things rather than people, you do not add an -n. Instead, when you omit the noun, you will often use the word er (of them) alongside the quantifier to show what you are counting.
| How many items do you have? I sell a few of them. | Hoeveel artikelen heb jij? Ik verkoop er enkele. |