Sommige

Sommige is a Dutch determiner and pronoun meaning “some” or “a subset of a larger group.” It is used to refer to a portion of a plural group without specifying exactly how many. As a determiner, it accompanies a plural noun, for example: sommige mensen, sommige boeken. As a pronoun, it can stand on its own in the plural form summing up a subset, as in sommigen, which functions like “some of them” or “some people.”

In grammar, sommige introduces an indefinite subset rather than the whole group. It is commonly followed by a noun phrase such as mensen, boeken, or kinderen. It can also be used in clauses: Sommige zijn het ermee eens, meaning “Some (of them) agree.” The related pronoun sommigen is used when the noun is understood or omitted: Sommigen geloven het, “Some people believe it.”

Sommige contrasts with andere determiners and phrases such as enkele, een paar, or een aantal. Enkele emphasizes a small, often countable number; andere is used for the remaining members of a group. The choice between sommige and deze/alle moet reflect the speaker’s intent about subset versus the whole group, and formality levels in the sentence.

Etymology traces nogle from Old Dutch somme or somme, related to Proto-Germanic roots for “some.” Today somme is firmly established in standard Dutch and appears in both spoken and written registers. It is a versatile and common word for indicating non-universal membership within a group.