mõningad

Mõningad is an Estonian determiner and attributive adjective meaning "some" or "a few," used to indicate an undetermined subset within a larger group. It accompanies plural nouns and is placed before them, for example: mõningad inimesed (some people), mõningad küsimused (a few questions).

In Estonian, adjectives including mõningad inflect to agree with the noun in number and case. Thus you can encounter forms such as mõningate inimeste (genitive plural), mõningaid inimesi (partitive plural), or mõningaid küsimusi (partitive plural). The base form indicates the indefinite quantity, while the rest of the form adapts to grammatical role in the sentence.

Etymology and relation to other words: mõningad is derived from mõni, the root meaning "some" or "a few," and is the plural attributive form used with a plural noun. It is related to mõni and to the more common mõned, which also means "some." While mõningad appears in standard Estonian, mõned is more frequently used in everyday speech, and mõningad can carry a slightly more formal or literary nuance.

Usage notes: Mõningad expresses a non-specific portion of a group and does not indicate the exact number. It is interchangeable with mõned in many contexts, though subtle stylistic preferences may guide choice in formal writing versus conversation. It can be contrasted with other quantifiers such as mõned, mõned, or mõni, depending on whether the reference is singular or plural and the degree of indefiniteness desired.

See also: mõni, mõned, mõned, Estonian adjectives, Estonian grammar.