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Unos/algunosAsk about definitions or translations for Spanish or English words. |
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#1
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Unos/algunos
I know they both mean some, but they cannot be interchangeably in many cases. Are there rules for their use?
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#2
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That's a good question poli.
I think that "algunos" can be more vague than "unos".
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#3
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Mmm... I don't know. From my perspective, they aren't interchangeable just when "algunos" means "certain" (ciertos). For everything else, I think they are. However, to me, "unos" is more imprecise: "unos" can be "dos" but "algunos" is always more than two.
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#4
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OK, that's the answer! In English certain and some can be interchanged a in certain characteristic/some characteristics, but in Spanish, it's best to use algunos.
Personally, I think when in doubt, use algunos.
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#5
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This is tricky... I've spent a couple of hours reflecting on this and I'm still not sure I can offer a clear explanation, but here I go:
When the purpose of the things referred to as "unos" or "algunos" is clear, then they're perfect synonyms: - Compré unas/algunas naranjas para hacer jugo. - Tengo unos/algunos vestidos que quiero regalarte. - Sobre la mesa hay unos/algunos libros que te van a encantar. When the idea of "some" is opposed to "all", then "algunos is preferred: - Vinieron algunos señores del grupo a buscarte. -> Only a part of the group, not all of them, but not just "any". - Llegaron algunos de los invitados a la fiesta. -> Not everyone who was invited came to the party. - En la visita al aviario, apenas vimos algunos pájaros. -> We didn't see as many birds as there were in the aviary. - Algunos calendarios no traen las fases de la luna. -> Some calendars, not all. And there is this fuzzy difference when "algunos" tends to be a little more specific than "unos": - Juan me dio unos dulces. -> I just received some sweets from Juan. - Juan me dio algunos dulces. -> If I say this, then my reader and I must know that Juan had sweets and he shared a few of them with me. - Compramos (unas) naranjas. -> We just bought oranges. - Compramos algunas naranjas. -> We bought some specific oranges from a place or a kind that we already knew. When the idea is opposed to "ninguno", then "alguno" is preferred. (In this case, I can only think of the singular, never the plural): - ¿Alguien tiene alguna idea de cómo salir de aquí? - ¿Tienes alguna pluma en tu bolsillo?
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