Plural indefinite quantities (parecchi, diversi, vari)

To express imprecise plural amounts like "various," "several," or "quite a few," Italian uses indefinite adjectives.

Vari, Parecchi, and Diversi

Use these adjectives to express indefinite plural quantities:

  • vari: various
  • parecchi: quite a few, several
  • diversi: several

Like all adjectives, they agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. Since they refer to multiple items, use their plural forms: vari/varie, parecchi/parecchie, and diversi/diverse.

Here they are modifying masculine plural nouns:

I have various cosmetics in the bag.
Ho vari cosmetici nella borsa.
There are several lipsticks on the table.
Ci sono parecchi rossetti sul tavolo.

Some nouns, like il mascara or il fondotinta, are invariable and do not change in the plural. The modifying adjective, however, still takes the plural form:

I want to try various mascaras.
Voglio provare vari mascara.
I need several foundations.
Mi servono diversi fondotinta.

Feminine Plurals

Modifying feminine nouns requires the feminine plural forms (varie, parecchie, or diverse):

I bought several face powders and various blushes.
Ho comprato diverse ciprie e vari fard.
We want to use several face powders.
Vogliamo usare parecchie ciprie.

Indefinite Pronouns

If the noun is understood from context, you can drop it and use the indefinite word as a pronoun. To say you bought or want "several of them," pair the pronoun with the particle ne:

I liked the blushes, I want to buy several of them.
Mi sono piaciuti i fard, ne voglio comprare parecchi.
I liked the nail polishes, I bought several of them.
Mi sono piaciuti gli smalti, ne ho comprati parecchi.