いくらかの
ikuraka no
The English phrase 'several' can be translated into Japanese using several forms, with the default form being いくらかの (ikuraka no). Wiktionary also lists 数人の (sūnin no) and 数個の (sūko no).
Meaning: consisting of a number more than two, but not very many (det)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| いくらかの | ikuraka no |
| 数人の | sūnin no |
| 数個の | sūko no |
Japanese uses different words for 'several' depending on whether you are referring to an indefinite amount or a specific number of countable items.
What does it mean word for word?
In the forms 数人の and 数個の, the character 数 (sū) means 'number' or 'several'.
Which one should you use?
いくらかの is often used to mean 'some' or 'a certain amount' and is more common when referring to uncountable quantities or indefinite amounts. In contrast, 数人の and 数個の are used specifically for countable items.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The form 数人の is used specifically when counting people. The form 数個の is used specifically when counting small, discrete objects.
How do you pronounce it?
ikuraka no
Did you know?
- The character 数 can be read as sū when meaning 'several' but is read as kazu when it means 'the number' in a general sense.
- The word いくらか is related to the question word いくら, which asks 'how much'.
- The word 数 also appears in the word for 'mathematics', 数学, because both rely on the concept of numbers.
Examples in context
- 数人の子供が砂浜で遊んでいる。Several children are playing in the sand.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use 数人の to describe a group of people.Tatoeba #143528 by bunbuku, translation #271039 by Dejo
- 数人の生徒が風邪で学校を休んだ。Several students were absent from school because of colds.Tatoeba #143518 by bunbuku, translation #271049 by CK
- この本屋にはいくつかの面白い本があります。There are several interesting books in this bookstore.
- 店にはいくつかの種類の果物があります。The store has several types of fruits.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Misaki are discussing a project plan.
- 蓮 Renこの計画にいくらかの問題があります。kono keikaku ni ikuraka no mondai ga arimasu.There are several problems with this plan.
- 美咲 Misaki具体的に教えてください。gutaiteki ni oshiete kudasai.Please tell me specifically.
- 蓮 Ren予算が足りない点などです。yosan ga tarinai ten nado desu.Things like the budget being insufficient.
- 美咲 Misakiわかりました。見直してみます。wakarimashita. minaoshite mimasu.I understand. I will review it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “several” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
