In Dutch, there are several ways to say 'a few'.
On one of the previous pages, you read about [sommige](#/lesson/Pronouns.Id09) or 'some' in English. The Dutch make a distinction between _some_ in the sense of 'certain' and _some_ referring to a small quantity. On this page, we will deal with 'quantitive some'.
The most common ways to say 'a few' are _wat_ and _een paar_:
Dutch | Application | English
wat | singular
plural | some, a few
een paar | plural | some, a few
We can also use _enkele(n)_ or _enige(n)_ but this is a bit formal.
Dutch | Application | English
enkele(n) | plural | some, any
enige(n) | singular
plural | some
_Wat_ and _een paar_
_Wat_ and _een paar_ both mean 'a few'. _Wat_ also means 'what' and _een paar_ literally means 'a pair' but we can use them both as a translation for 'a few'.
- _Wat_ and _een paar_ can refer to things as well as to persons;
- We use _wat_ and _een paar_ before plural nouns. _Wat_ can also be used before uncountable singular nouns (meaning 'a bit');
- _Wat_ is considered colloquial.
Before plural nouns, we can use both _een paar_ and _wat_:
Ik heb een paar mensen uitgenodigd.
Ik heb wat mensen uitgenodigd. | I invited a few people.
Mag ik u een paar vragen stellen?
Mag ik u wat vragen stellen? | May I ask you a few questions?
Before singular nouns, we can only use _wat_.
Heb je nog wat geld over? | Do you have any money left?
Er was wat onduidelijkheid over de taakverdeling. | There was some unclarity about the division of tasks.
Instead of _wat_, you can also say _enig(e)_, which is more formal: "Heb je nog _enig_ geld over?", or: "Er was _enige_ onduidelijkheid over de taakverdeling."
_Enkele_
_Enkele_ means 'a few'. As an adjective, it means 'single'.
- _Enkele_ can refer to things as well as to persons;
- We use _enkele_ before plural nouns;
- _Enkele_ is a bit formal. _Een paar_ or _wat_ are more common.
Hij is al voor enkele tentamens geslaagd. | He already passed a few tests.
Ze heeft het al aan enkele mensen verteld. | She already told it to a few people.
_Enkele_ can also be independent (not preceding a noun). If it refers to things, we write _enkele_, for persons we write _enkele n_.
In die boekhandel verkopen ze antieke boeken'.
Enkele zijn zeer kostbaar. | In that bookshop, they sell antique books.
A few (of them) are very valuable.
De studenten hadden hard voor het tentamen geleerd.
Enkelen hadden de hele nacht doorgehaald. | The students had studied hard for the test.
A few (of them) had stayed up all night.
Note that _enkel_ can also function as an adjective (meaning 'single'). While the pronoun _enkele(n)_ can only refer to plural nouns, the adjective _enkel(e)_ can also refer to single nouns.
_Enige_
As mentioned above, _enige_ can be used as a more formal form of _wat_:
- _Enige_ can refer to things as well as to persons;
- We use _e_ _nige_ before singular and plural nouns;
[ de onduidelijkheid]
Er was enige onduidelijkheid over de taakverdeling. | [the unclarity]
There was some unclarity about the division of tasks.
[ het enthousiasme]
Het plan werd met enig enthousiasme ontvangen. | [the enthusiasm]
The idea was received with some enthusiasm
_Enige_ is most common in questions, where it can be compared with English 'any'.
[ het idee]
Heb jij enig idee hoe laat het is? | [the idea]
Do you have any idea what time it is?
[ de overeenkomst]
Zie jij enige overeenkomst? | [the similarity]
Do you see any similarity?
[ de kaarten]
Zijn er nog enige kaarten over? | [the tickets]
Are there any tickets left?
In the rare case that we use it independently (not preceding a noun), this pronoun behaves the same as _enkele_. When referring to things, we write _enige_, for persons, we write _enige n_.
_Enkele_ and _enige_ as adjectives
The indefinite numbers _enkele_ and _enige_ can also be used as adjectives. In this case, _enkele_ means 'single' and _enige_ means 'only'.
Ik kan geen enkele oplossing bedenken. | I cannot think of a single solution.
Was dat de enige keer? | Was that the only time?