How to Say "Some" in French - How To Say Guide

certains

/sɛʁ.tɛ̃/

The English word 'some' can be translated into French as certains.

certains is used to refer to certain, unspecified or unknown entities.

Meaning: certain, unspecified or unknown (det)

Which one should you use?

When used as a pronoun without a following noun, certains refers to a specific but unspecified group of people or things.

How do you pronounce it?

The word has 2 syllables and is pronounced /sɛʁ.tɛ̃/.

What mistakes should you avoid?

English speakers often mistakenly use quelques when they mean 'certain' (as in 'certain people'). While quelques emphasizes a small quantity, certains emphasizes a specific subset.

Did you know?

French has a specific word quelconque which translates to 'any' or 'some', but is almost always used to mean 'mediocre' or 'ordinary'.
The word certains can be used to introduce a subtle contradiction in a debate, acting as a linguistic hedge to avoid naming specific opponents.
If you want to say 'some' in the sense of 'a few' regarding a number, using certains can sound overly formal or even slightly suspicious, as if you are hiding the identity of the group.

Examples in context

Certains leur firent pitié.
Some pitied them.
This sentence shows how to use certains to refer to people.
Tatoeba #432547 by qdii, translation #304921 by CM
Certains problèmes ont surgi.
Some problems have arisen.
This sentence shows how to use certains with a noun.
Tatoeba #12961818 by lbdx, translation #12173112 by CK
Certains dattiers ont survécu.
Some date palm trees survived.
Tatoeba #11904110 by zogwarg, translation #11452259 by Amastan
du pain
Some bread
du café
Some coffee
de la confiture
Some jam
de la glace
Some ice cream
de l'eau
Some water
de l'huile
Some oil
des pommes
Some apples
des livres
Some books
quelques amis
Some friends
quelques idées
Some ideas
des petits gâteaux
Some cakes
Je voudrais du sucre, s'il vous plaît.
I would like some sugar, please.
328 more sentences on Tatoeba

Example conversation

Hugo and Léa are discussing their weekend plans in a cafe.

Hugo

Certains restaurants sont fermés le lundi.
Some restaurants are closed on Mondays.
Léa

C'est vrai, Hugo.
That's true, Hugo.
Hugo

Il faut vérifier avant de partir.
We must check before leaving.
Léa

D'accord, je vais regarder.
Okay, I will look.

Sources

Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry certains, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.

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How to Say “Some” in French