{"id":59949,"date":"2026-05-14T05:44:22","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T20:44:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/?p=59949"},"modified":"2026-05-14T06:37:58","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T21:37:58","slug":"italian-alcuni-alcune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-alcuni-alcune\/","title":{"rendered":"Italian Alcuni, Alcune: How to Say &#8216;Some&#8217; or &#8216;A Few&#8217; (A1)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>\ud83d\udd0d <strong>In short.<\/strong> English has one little word for indefinite quantities: <em>some<\/em>. Italian has several, and the two you&#8217;ll meet first as an A1 learner are <em>alcuni<\/em> and <em>alcune<\/em>. <strong>Italian alcuni alcune<\/strong> means &#8220;some&#8221; or &#8220;a few&#8221;, always in the plural, always agreeing with the gender of the noun: <em>alcuni amici<\/em> (some male friends), <em>alcune amiche<\/em> (some female friends). The singular form (alcun, alcuno, alcuna) is rare and almost only shows up in negative sentences. By the end of this guide you&#8217;ll know when to reach for alcuni, when for qualche, and why the singular is the odd one out.<\/p>\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-toc-al\"><div class=\"gb-inside-container\">\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-toc-al-t gb-headline-text\">Cosa impareremo oggi<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">\ud83d\udc46\ud83c\udffb Jump to section<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" \/>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#one-liner\">The one-line rule for italian alcuni alcune<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#plural\">Alcuni and alcune: the everyday plural<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#adjective-pronoun\">Adjective or pronoun: alcuni does both jobs<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#alcuni-di\">The pattern alcuni di noi, alcune di loro<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#singular\">The rare singular: alcun, alcuno, alcuna<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#vs-qualche\">Alcuni vs qualche: same idea, different form<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#vs-certi\">Alcuni vs certi: a small register shift<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#mistakes\">Common mistakes<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#cheat-sheet\">Cheat sheet for italian alcuni alcune<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#dialogue\">Dialogue at the editorial office in Padova<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#faq\">Frequently asked questions<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#related\">Related guides<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#quiz\">Quiz<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"one-liner\">The one-line rule for italian alcuni alcune<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Use <em>alcuni<\/em> with masculine plural nouns and <em>alcune<\/em> with feminine plural nouns. Both mean &#8220;some&#8221; or &#8220;a few&#8221;, and the noun (or the noun they refer back to) is always plural. There is no <em>alcunoi<\/em>, no <em>alcunee<\/em>: two forms, masculine and feminine, both plural. The singular forms (<em>alcun, alcuno, alcuna<\/em>) exist but appear almost only in negative sentences, where they translate as &#8220;any&#8221; or &#8220;no&#8221;: <em>non ho alcun dubbio<\/em> = &#8220;I have no doubt&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you remember nothing else from this page, remember this. <em>Alcuni<\/em> = masculine plural &#8220;some&#8221;. <em>Alcune<\/em> = feminine plural &#8220;some&#8221;. Singular is rare and lives in negatives. That&#8217;s the whole story in two short lines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"plural\">Alcuni and alcune: the everyday plural<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In positive sentences, italian alcuni alcune is the natural way to say &#8220;some&#8221; or &#8220;a few&#8221; when you want to highlight a quantity. The form agrees with the gender of the noun, and the noun is always plural.<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Dobbiamo vedere alcuni amici di Lorenzo.<br><em>We have to see some of Lorenzo&#8217;s friends. (alcuni + masc. pl.)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Ci sono alcune cose di cui vorrei parlare con te.<br><em>There are some things I&#8217;d like to talk to you about. (alcune + fem. pl.)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Alcune rane non vivono nell&#8217;acqua.<br><em>Some frogs don&#8217;t live in water. (alcune + fem. pl., zoological fact)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Alcuni superano il limite di velocit\u00e0 su questo tratto di strada.<br><em>Some people exceed the speed limit on this stretch of road. (alcuni alone, masc. plural pronoun = &#8220;some people&#8221;)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Ad alcuni piace essere al centro dell&#8217;attenzione.<br><em>Some people like being the centre of attention.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p>Notice the masculine plural <em>alcuni<\/em> used on its own without a noun: it works as a pronoun meaning &#8220;some people&#8221;. This is one of the most common patterns in spoken Italian. <em>Alcuni si lamentano<\/em> means &#8220;some people complain&#8221;, with the masculine plural standing in for an unspecified group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"adjective-pronoun\">Adjective or pronoun: alcuni does both jobs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Italian alcuni alcune works in two roles, and the form stays the same in both:<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Adjective<\/strong> (before a noun): Alcuni libri sono interessanti. <em>Some books are interesting.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><strong>Pronoun<\/strong> (alone, replacing a known group): Tra questi libri, alcuni sono interessanti. <em>Among these books, some are interesting.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p>The distinction matters in practice because the pronoun version often pairs with a preceding context: a group is mentioned, then <em>alcuni<\/em> refers back to part of it. The eserciziario indefiniti spells this out: <em>La maggior parte dei colleghi era soddisfatta, ma alcuni si lamentavano del nuovo orario<\/em> (&#8220;Most of the colleagues were satisfied, but some complained about the new schedule&#8221;). The first clause introduces &#8220;the colleagues&#8221;; the second clause picks out part of that group with <em>alcuni<\/em>, no noun needed.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-task-al-1\"><div class=\"gb-inside-container\">\n<p>\ud83c\udfaf <strong>Mini-challenge:<\/strong> Pick between <em>alcuni<\/em> and <em>alcune<\/em>.<\/p>\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>____ ragazze della redazione di Padova ti conoscono. (some \/ fem. pl.)<\/li>\n<li>Ho preparato i biscotti e ne ho offerti ____ a Margherita. (some \/ masc. pl., refers to &#8220;biscotti&#8221;)<\/li>\n<li>Stasera dobbiamo vedere ____ amici di Lorenzo. (some \/ masc. pl.)<\/li>\n<li>____ delle cose che ha detto erano molto interessanti. (some \/ fem. pl.)<\/li>\n<li>____ piace andare a Trieste in inverno. (a + some \/ masc. pl., &#8220;some people&#8221;)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n<details><summary><strong>\ud83d\udc49 See answers<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>1. <strong>Alcune<\/strong> ragazze (fem. pl.)<\/p>\n<p>2. <strong>alcuni<\/strong> (refers to <em>biscotti<\/em>, masc. pl.)<\/p>\n<p>3. <strong>alcuni<\/strong> amici (masc. pl.)<\/p>\n<p>4. <strong>Alcune<\/strong> delle cose (fem. pl.)<\/p>\n<p>5. Ad <strong>alcuni<\/strong> (masc. pl. pronoun = &#8220;some people&#8221;)<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"alcuni-di\">The pattern alcuni di noi, alcune di loro<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the most useful constructions with italian alcuni alcune is the pronoun followed by <em>di<\/em> plus a plural noun or pronoun. The pattern is <em>alcuni di + plural<\/em>, and it singles out part of a known group.<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Alcuni di noi vanno al cinema stasera.<br><em>Some of us are going to the cinema tonight.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Alcune di voi conoscono gi\u00e0 il professore.<br><em>Some of you already know the professor.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Avevo gi\u00e0 conosciuto alcuni di loro.<br><em>I had already met some of them.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Alcune delle ragazze della redazione ti conoscono.<br><em>Some of the girls at the editorial office know you.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Alcuni degli studenti hanno finito presto.<br><em>Some of the students finished early.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p>The plural after <em>di<\/em> can be a pronoun (<em>noi, voi, loro<\/em>), a noun with article (<em>degli studenti, delle ragazze<\/em>), or a phrase. The construction is identical to English &#8220;some of us&#8221;, &#8220;some of them&#8221;, but Italian uses <em>di<\/em> instead of &#8220;of&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"singular\">The rare singular: alcun, alcuno, alcuna<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The singular of italian alcuni alcune exists, but it lives almost exclusively in negative sentences. In positive sentences Italians use <em>qualche<\/em> instead (see next section). The forms follow the same logic as the indefinite article <em>un, uno, una, un&#8217;<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>alcun<\/em> + masculine consonant: <em>non ho alcun dubbio<\/em> (&#8220;I have no doubt&#8221;)<\/li>\n<li><em>alcuno<\/em> + masculine s+consonant, z, ps, gn: <em>non ho alcuno scrupolo<\/em> (&#8220;I have no scruple&#8221;)<\/li>\n<li><em>alcuna<\/em> + feminine consonant: <em>non ho alcuna idea<\/em> (&#8220;I have no idea&#8221;)<\/li>\n<li><em>alcun&#8217;<\/em> + feminine vowel: <em>non c&#8217;\u00e8 alcun&#8217;altra possibilit\u00e0<\/em> (&#8220;there&#8217;s no other possibility&#8221;)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p>In all four cases the meaning is &#8220;any&#8221; (in a negative) or &#8220;no&#8221; (with the verb form supplying the negation). The construction is interchangeable with <em>nessun, nessuno, nessuna<\/em>, which is more common in everyday speech.<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Non ho alcuna idea.<br><em>I have no idea.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Non c&#8217;\u00e8 alcuna possibilit\u00e0 di successo.<br><em>There&#8217;s no chance of success.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Non venne alcuno degli invitati.<br><em>None of the guests came.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Non ho alcun dubbio di aver preso la decisione giusta.<br><em>I have no doubt I made the right decision.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p>Notice that Italian uses a double-negative structure: <em>non + verb + alcun + noun<\/em>. The <em>non<\/em> is mandatory; without it, the sentence would be ungrammatical. The same applies to <em>nessun<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One more thing worth knowing about the singular forms of italian alcuni alcune: they belong to a slightly more formal register. A friend texting you about a problem will most likely write <em>non c&#8217;\u00e8 nessun problema<\/em> rather than <em>non c&#8217;\u00e8 alcun problema<\/em>. A contract, a legal document, or a polite email will more often use <em>alcun, alcuna<\/em>. Both are correct; the register changes. As an A1 learner you can default to <em>nessun<\/em> in speech and you&#8217;ll sound completely natural; recognising <em>alcun<\/em> when you read it is the goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"vs-qualche\">Alcuni vs qualche: same idea, different form<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The natural pair with italian alcuni alcune is <em>qualche<\/em>. Both translate as &#8220;some&#8221; or &#8220;a few&#8221; in positive sentences, but they take different shapes.<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th>Italian<\/th><th>Form<\/th><th>Example<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody>\n<tr><td>alcuni \/ alcune<\/td><td>plural noun, plural verb<\/td><td>alcuni amici sono venuti<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>qualche<\/td><td>singular noun, singular verb<\/td><td>qualche amico \u00e8 venuto<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>Both sentences mean the same thing: &#8220;some friends came&#8221;. <em>Alcuni amici sono venuti<\/em> emphasises the quantity (a certain number); <em>qualche amico \u00e8 venuto<\/em> downplays the quantity (just a few, the odd one). In daily speech <em>qualche<\/em> is slightly more common; in writing and in slightly more careful registers <em>alcuni<\/em> appears more often. Italian-speaking colleagues use both interchangeably without thinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One exception worth noting: the phrase <em>alcune volte<\/em> (&#8220;sometimes&#8221;) is grammatically correct but most Italians prefer <em>qualche volta<\/em> or <em>a volte<\/em> in everyday talk. If you say <em>alcune volte<\/em> a native speaker will understand you, but it will sound slightly formal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"vs-certi\">Alcuni vs certi: a small register shift<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Italian also uses <em>certi<\/em> and <em>certe<\/em> (plural of <em>certo, certa<\/em>) with a meaning close to italian alcuni alcune. The difference is in tone.<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Alcuni esperti sostengono che la dieta mediterranea sia la migliore.<br><em>Some experts maintain that the Mediterranean diet is the best.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Certi esperti sostengono che la dieta mediterranea sia la migliore.<br><em>Certain experts maintain that the Mediterranean diet is the best.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p>The two sentences are nearly equivalent. <em>Certi<\/em> often adds a slight implication of &#8220;those particular ones, you know the type&#8221; or hints at the speaker&#8217;s reservations about the group. <em>Alcuni<\/em> is neutral. At A1 level you can use <em>alcuni<\/em> in almost every situation; <em>certi<\/em> will come naturally later. Italian also has the rarer and more formal <em>taluni<\/em> and <em>certuni<\/em>, but these belong to written or academic language and you won&#8217;t need them in conversation. Stick with <em>alcuni<\/em> and <em>alcune<\/em> as your everyday tools, and add <em>qualche<\/em> for the singular alternative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"mistakes\">Common mistakes<\/h2>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Saying <em>alcuno libro<\/em> in a positive sentence. The singular forms are only for negative sentences. The positive is <em>qualche libro<\/em> or <em>un libro<\/em> or, if plural is meant, <em>alcuni libri<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li>Writing <em>alcuni amiche<\/em>. The form must agree with the gender of the noun: <em>alcuni amici<\/em> (masc. pl.) or <em>alcune amiche<\/em> (fem. pl.).<\/li>\n<li>Translating &#8220;some of us&#8221; as <em>alcuni noi<\/em>. The preposition <em>di<\/em> is mandatory: <em>alcuni di noi<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li>Dropping the <em>non<\/em> in negative singular: <em>ho alcun dubbio<\/em>. The construction needs <em>non<\/em>: <em>non ho alcun dubbio<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li>Confusing <em>alcuni<\/em> with <em>qualcuno<\/em>. <em>Alcuni<\/em> is plural (&#8220;some, several&#8221;); <em>qualcuno<\/em> is singular (&#8220;someone, somebody&#8221;). Different jobs, different forms.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"cheat-sheet\">Cheat sheet for italian alcuni alcune<\/h2>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th>Form<\/th><th>Gender \/ Number<\/th><th>Where it lives<\/th><th>Example<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody>\n<tr><td>alcuni<\/td><td>masc. plural<\/td><td>positive sentences, with masc. nouns or alone as pronoun<\/td><td>alcuni amici, alcuni si lamentano<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>alcune<\/td><td>fem. plural<\/td><td>positive sentences, with fem. nouns or alone as pronoun<\/td><td>alcune ragazze, alcune di voi<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>alcun<\/td><td>masc. singular before consonant<\/td><td>negative sentences only<\/td><td>non ho alcun dubbio<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>alcuno<\/td><td>masc. singular before s+cons, z, ps, gn<\/td><td>negative sentences only<\/td><td>non ho alcuno scrupolo<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>alcuna<\/td><td>fem. singular before consonant<\/td><td>negative sentences only<\/td><td>non ho alcuna idea<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>alcun&#8217;<\/td><td>fem. singular before vowel<\/td><td>negative sentences only (rare)<\/td><td>non c&#8217;\u00e8 alcun&#8217;altra possibilit\u00e0<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>qualche<\/td><td>invariable<\/td><td>positive singular; the everyday &#8220;some&#8221;<\/td><td>qualche amico, qualche idea<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>nessun(o)\/a<\/td><td>singular<\/td><td>negative, more common than alcun in speech<\/td><td>non ho nessun dubbio<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"dialogue\">Dialogue at the editorial office in Padova<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The following dialogue shows italian alcuni alcune in a workplace conversation. Federica edits articles at a magazine&#8217;s editorial office in Padova. Tommaso, a freelance writer, has dropped by to talk about an upcoming piece.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-dialog-al\"><div class=\"gb-inside-container\">\n<p>\ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffc\u200d\ud83e\uddb0 <strong>Federica:<\/strong> Ciao Tommaso, entra. Ci sono alcune cose di cui vorrei parlare con te prima di chiudere il numero.<br><em>Hi Tommaso, come in. There are some things I&#8217;d like to talk to you about before we close the issue.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udc68\ud83c\udffd\u200d\ud83e\uddb1 <strong>Tommaso:<\/strong> Volentieri. Ho letto la mail e ho preso alcuni appunti.<br><em>Gladly. I read the email and I took some notes.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffc\u200d\ud83e\uddb0 <strong>Federica:<\/strong> Ottimo. Allora: alcune delle ragazze in redazione hanno trovato un paio di passaggi un po&#8217; confusi.<br><em>Great. So: some of the girls in the editorial office found a couple of passages a bit confusing.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udc68\ud83c\udffd\u200d\ud83e\uddb1 <strong>Tommaso:<\/strong> Quali in particolare? Non ho alcun problema a riscriverli.<br><em>Which ones in particular? I have no problem rewriting them.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffc\u200d\ud83e\uddb0 <strong>Federica:<\/strong> La parte centrale, soprattutto. Ad alcuni dei lettori test \u00e8 sembrata troppo tecnica.<br><em>The central part, mostly. To some of the test readers it seemed too technical.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udc68\ud83c\udffd\u200d\ud83e\uddb1 <strong>Tommaso:<\/strong> Capito. Posso semplificare alcuni passaggi senza togliere il contenuto.<br><em>Got it. I can simplify some passages without removing the content.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffc\u200d\ud83e\uddb0 <strong>Federica:<\/strong> Perfetto. E poi, alcune di queste foto le sostituiamo. Ne ho scelte alcune pi\u00f9 chiare dall&#8217;archivio.<br><em>Perfect. And then, we&#8217;re replacing some of these photos. I picked some clearer ones from the archive.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udc68\ud83c\udffd\u200d\ud83e\uddb1 <strong>Tommaso:<\/strong> Bene. Quando devo consegnare la versione finale?<br><em>Good. When do I need to deliver the final version?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffc\u200d\ud83e\uddb0 <strong>Federica:<\/strong> Gioved\u00ec sera, se ci riesci. Alcuni colleghi devono ancora rileggerla.<br><em>Thursday evening, if you can. Some colleagues still have to proofread it.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What to notice in the dialogue<\/h3>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>alcune cose, alcuni appunti, alcuni passaggi, alcune foto<\/strong>: adjective use, agreement with the noun&#8217;s gender.<\/li>\n<li><strong>alcune delle ragazze, alcuni dei lettori, alcune di queste foto<\/strong>: pronoun + di pattern, picking out part of a group.<\/li>\n<li><strong>ne ho scelte alcune<\/strong>: pronoun standing alone after a partitive <em>ne<\/em>, masculine plural agreement with the implicit feminine noun (foto).<\/li>\n<li><strong>non ho alcun problema<\/strong>: singular alcun in a negative sentence, the only place the singular naturally lives.<\/li>\n<li><strong>alcuni colleghi devono ancora rileggerla<\/strong>: plain plural adjective with masculine noun.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"quiz\">Test your understanding<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Take the quiz below to test what you&#8217;ve learned about italian alcuni alcune.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:center;padding:30px;background:#f4f5f6;border-radius:10px;color:#888\"><em>(Quiz coming soon)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"faq\">Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>These questions about italian alcuni alcune come from real threads where A1 learners get stuck on the difference with <em>qualche<\/em>, the rare singular forms, and the pronoun pattern. For the dictionary view, the Treccani entry on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.treccani.it\/vocabolario\/alcuno\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">alcuno<\/a> covers all the nuances in standard Italian.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"rank-math-faq\" class=\"rank-math-block\">\n<div class=\"rank-math-list \">\n<div id=\"faq-al-q1\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">What is the difference between alcuni and qualche?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Both mean some or a few in positive sentences. Alcuni and alcune are always plural and agree with the gender of the noun (alcuni amici, alcune amiche). Qualche is always singular and invariable, even though it refers to multiple items (qualche amico, qualche idea). The two are nearly interchangeable in meaning: alcuni amici sono venuti and qualche amico \u00e8 venuto deliver the same message. In everyday spoken Italian qualche is slightly more common; alcuni is also natural and slightly more written. Choose based on whether the noun is plural (alcuni) or singular in form (qualche).<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-al-q2\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Why do Italians say non ho alcun dubbio instead of non ho qualche dubbio?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Because the singular form alcun is reserved for negative sentences, where it means any or no. In positive sentences Italian uses qualche or un instead: ho qualche dubbio (I have some doubt) or ho un dubbio (I have a doubt). In the negative, alcun is interchangeable with nessun: non ho alcun dubbio and non ho nessun dubbio mean the same thing. Native speakers often prefer nessun in daily speech and alcun in writing.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-al-q3\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">How do I choose between alcuni and alcune?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>By the gender of the noun. Use alcuni with masculine plural nouns (alcuni libri, alcuni amici, alcuni colleghi) and alcune with feminine plural nouns (alcune cose, alcune ragazze, alcune foto). When alcuni stands alone as a pronoun meaning some people, it&#8217;s always masculine plural by default (alcuni si lamentano = some people complain), regardless of who is involved.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-al-q4\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Is alcuni a pronoun or an adjective?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Both, and the form stays the same in both roles. As an adjective, alcuni precedes a noun: alcuni studenti hanno finito. As a pronoun, alcuni stands alone, usually referring back to a group already mentioned: alcuni si sono lamentati. The pronoun use is very common in spoken Italian and means some people or some of them, depending on context.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-al-q5\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">How do I say some of us or some of them in Italian?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Use the pattern alcuni di or alcune di followed by a plural pronoun or noun. Alcuni di noi (some of us), alcune di voi (some of you), alcuni di loro (some of them). For groups: alcune delle ragazze (some of the girls), alcuni degli studenti (some of the students). The preposition di is mandatory: alcuni noi is wrong, it must be alcuni di noi.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-al-q6\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Is alcune volte the same as qualche volta?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Grammatically yes, semantically yes. Both mean sometimes or a few times. In daily spoken Italian, qualche volta and a volte are much more common. Alcune volte is correct but sounds slightly formal or written. Most natives will say facciamo qualche volta una passeggiata, not facciamo alcune volte una passeggiata. If in doubt, default to qualche volta or a volte in conversation.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-al-q7\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">What&#8217;s the difference between alcuni and qualcuno?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Number and meaning. Alcuni is plural and means some or a few (referring to several items or people). Qualcuno is singular and means someone or somebody (referring to one unspecified person). Alcuni si lamentano means some people complain (more than one); qualcuno si lamenta means someone complains (just one). Different jobs, different forms, no overlap in standard Italian.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"related\">Related guides<\/h2>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-qualche-singular\/\">Italian Qualche: Why &#8216;Some&#8217; Is Always Singular (A2)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-ogni-ciascuno-ognuno\/\">Italian Ogni, Ciascuno, Ognuno: Each and Every (A2)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-qualcosa-something\/\">Italian Qualcosa: How to Say &#8216;Something&#8217; Like a Native (A1)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-plurals-three-rules\/\">Italian Plurals: The 3 Rules That Cover Almost Everything (A1)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\ud83d\udd0d In short. Italian alcuni alcune means &#8216;some&#8217; or &#8216;a few&#8217; in the plural, agreeing with the gender of the noun. The singular forms (alcun, alcuno, alcuna) live almost only in negative sentences. This A1 guide covers alcuni vs qualche, the di pattern, the rare singular, and common mistakes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10020,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"pmpro_default_level":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1863],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-59949","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-a1","no-featured-image-padding","pmpro-has-access"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59949","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10020"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59949"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59949\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":59964,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59949\/revisions\/59964"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59949"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59949"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59949"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}