Breakdown of Alguns alunos gostam de estudar na biblioteca, outros gostam de estudar em casa.
gostar de
to like
a casa
the house
estudar
to study
em
at
Questions & Answers about Alguns alunos gostam de estudar na biblioteca, outros gostam de estudar em casa.
Why is it alguns alunos and not algumas alunos or alguns alunas?
In Portuguese, adjectives and quantifiers have to agree in gender and number with the noun.
So:
- alguns alunos ✅ (masculine plural + masculine plural)
- algumas alunas ✅ (feminine plural + feminine plural)
- algumas alunos ❌ (feminine plural + masculine plural)
- alguns alunas ❌ (masculine plural + feminine plural)
If you were referring only to female students, you would say:
- Algumas alunas gostam de estudar na biblioteca...
What exactly does alguns mean here? Is it “some” or “a few”? Does it suggest a small group?
Alguns is usually translated as “some” in a neutral way. It doesn’t strongly say whether the group is big or small; it just means not all.
- Alguns alunos = some students (an unspecified number)
- It can be used for both small and larger groups; context decides.
If you really wanted to emphasize “just a few,” you might say:
- Poucos alunos = few students / not many students
What is the difference between alguns and uns before a plural noun?