Enkele

Enkele is a Dutch determiner and adjective meaning a few or several, used before a plural noun to indicate a small, unspecified number. It implies more than one but not many, and it signals a modest quantity without giving an exact figure.

It is generally less precise than een paar (a couple) and can be more restrained than sommige (some). Enkele is often chosen when the speaker wants to indicate a small, non-specific amount rather than a definite count, for example in contexts like planning, reporting, or description.

Examples of usage include phrases such as enkele dagen, enkele weken, of enkele mensen. For instance, "We hebben enkele dagen gewacht" means we waited for a few days, "Er zitten enkele fouten in dit verslag" means there are a few errors in this report, and "Enkele mensen kwamen opdagen" means a few people showed up. The form generally precedes the noun and cannot be used with a singular noun.

Enkele can also appear in phrases like enkele van de deelnemers, meaning some of the participants, where it specifies a subset of a larger group. In contrast to sommige, enkele emphasizes a smaller, more limited subset rather than a broad portion.

In Afrikaans, een soortgelyke betekenis is retained, where enkele likewise means some or a few, used similarly before plural nouns. The term is common in both Dutch and Afrikaans and appears frequently in everyday language, journalism, and literature.

See also: een paar, sommige, meerdere.