Некоторые vs несколько: how to choose the right “some” word

How to choose the right "some" word

Many learners translate both не́которые and не́сколько as "some," but they work differently:

• не́которые = some (not all) → a subset of a known or imaginable group
• не́сколько = a few / several → a small quantity (often felt as about 2–7, but not exact)

If you remember only one thing: не́которые answers which ones (a subset), не́сколько answers how many (a quantity).

1. Не́которые — "some (of them), not all"

Не́которые points to part of a group. The size isn't important; the idea is "not everyone / not everything." Use it when you contrast part of the set with the rest:

• Не́которые лю́ди не лю́бят ко́фе. — Some people don't like coffee. (others do)
• Не́которые кни́ги бы́ли ску́чными. — Some books were boring. (others were fine)
• Не́которые студе́нты опозда́ли. — Some students were late. (not all of them)

Grammar: it behaves like a plural adjective

Не́которые agrees with the noun in case, always in the plural, exactly like an adjective:

• Не́которые студе́нты опозда́ли. — Some students were late.
• Я поговори́л с не́которыми колле́гами. — I talked with some colleagues.
• Я чита́л о не́которых кни́гах. — I read about some books.

It can also stand alone, without a noun (as a pronoun):

• Не́которые не лю́бят ко́фе. — Some people don't like coffee.

New to Russian cases? Both of these words change their endings depending on the case, so if the whole case system still feels like a fog, don't force your way through the tables below. Start with the friendly overview first — it explains the logic behind all six cases in plain language: Russian Cases: The Logic Behind the System. Then come back here, and the forms will make much more sense.

*As you can see, the accusative has two forms: the nominative-like one for things (не́которые кни́ги) and the genitive-like one for people and animals (не́которых студе́нтов) — the standard animate/inanimate rule.

2. Не́сколько — "a few / several"

Не́сколько answers the question "how many?" It focuses on quantity, not on "which ones." Use it when the number is small but you don't want to name it exactly.

Grammar: it behaves like a numeral

After не́сколько in the Nominative and Accusative, the noun usually goes into the genitive plural:

• У меня́ есть не́сколько вопро́сов. — I have a few questions.
• Мы подожда́ли не́сколько мину́т. — We waited a few minutes.
• В ко́мнате стоя́ло не́сколько сту́льев. — There were several chairs in the room.

This is the same genitive-after-quantity pattern you see with all Russian number and quantity words. If it feels shaky, here's where it's explained step by step: Genitive Case: Basics.

In the other cases, though, не́сколько itself changes shape — into не́скольких, не́скольким, не́сколькими — and the noun follows it in that same case (not the genitive):

• Я помо́г не́скольким студе́нтам. — I helped several students. (dative — both words in the dative)
• Я говори́л с не́сколькими студе́нтами. — I spoke with several students. (instrumental — both words in the instrumental)

Side-by-side comparison

Same noun, different meaning:

• Не́которые студе́нты опозда́ли. — Some students (not all) were late. (focus: which ones — a subset)
• Опозда́ло не́сколько студе́нтов. — A few students were late. (focus: how many — a small number)

You might notice the verb changes form too: опозда́ли (plural) in the first sentence, опозда́ло (neuter singular) in the second. That's not a typo. With не́которые, the subject is treated as a normal plural, so the verb is plural. But не́сколько is a quantity word, and quantity words often push the verb into the neuter singular (which is impersonal form) — the same thing happens with numbers (пришло́ пять челове́к — five people came). Both patterns are correct; they just reflect how Russian "feels" the subject: не́которые as real people, не́сколько as an amount.

When only one works naturally:

• Не́которые fits with a clear group: Не́которые мои́ колле́ги рабо́тают из до́ма. — Some of my colleagues work from home. (a subset of "my colleagues")
• Не́сколько fits with counting: У меня́ есть не́сколько колле́г в э́том отде́ле. — I have a few colleagues in this department. (a small number of colleagues)

Watch out for this

🚫 У меня́ есть не́которые вопро́сы. (when you just mean "a few questions")

✔️ У меня́ есть не́сколько вопро́сов. — I have a few questions. If you're counting a small amount, use не́сколько. Не́которые вопро́сы would mean "some of the questions (but not all)" — a subset of a known set.

🚫 Не́сколько лю́ди лю́бят ко́фе, други́е нет. (trying to contrast one part with another)

✔️ Не́которые лю́ди лю́бят ко́фе, други́е нет. — Some people like coffee, others don't. When you're splitting a group into "some… others…," that's не́которые, not не́сколько.

🚫 Я говори́л с не́сколько студе́нтами. (leaving несколько unchanged in the instrumental)

✔️ Я говори́л с не́сколькими студе́нтами. — I spoke with several students. In cases other than nominative/accusative, не́сколько has to change form too.

Quick recap

• Splitting a group into part vs the rest → не́которые (which ones).
• Naming a small, vague quantity → не́сколько (how many).

Both are "some" in English, but they answer two different questions — and once you hear which question the sentence is really asking, the choice makes itself. The exercises above will help you get there.