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I was thinking, and I can't express the word "some" in Japanese.

Examples:

  * There were **some** fruits on the table. (I would say "テーブルの上に果物があった）

Maybe 少しあった - but then I would translate as "there were few fruits".

  * There are **some** people here I know, and some I've never seen!

  * I still have **some** things to buy for that trip.

  * **some** of those CDs were broken.

  * we will have **some** news soon, just wait **some** minutes.

Yoroshiku! Thanks
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2011-06-24T01:32:48.153
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2011-06-27T13:22:17.493
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usage words
How can I say "some X " in Japanese?
This may be the case where there isn't a direct translation for "some".

for instance "I still have some things to buy for that trip." becomes
「旅行のためにまだ買うものが残っています。」
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2011-06-24T01:37:07.980
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2011-06-24T02:48:21.583
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One option would be いくつか、何個か、何人か.

> テーブルの上に果物がいくつかあった
>
> その部屋に何人かの人がいました。
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2011-06-24T01:39:41.367
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2011-06-24T01:39:41.367
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Basically, you don't say it, it would be the default situation. You would
insist if there were only one, or a lot, by saying "部屋に人が一人います" or
"テーブルの上に果物がたくさんあります。"

You may still say "いくつか" to mean "some", but it would even rather sound like
"several": "テーブルの上に果物がいくつかある。"

So, to sum up: you don't have to emphasize it, it's already implied!
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2011-06-24T01:41:08.477
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2011-06-24T01:41:08.477
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The main (and most common) answer is: You don't say it. The same way there is
no definite article in Japanese, indefinite (and by extension, vague
quantifiers like 'some') can be omitted. Some verbal forms might help
emphasise the idea of existence/quantity ('ある' instead of 'です' etc).

From your examples, though, it sounds like you are really trying to express "a
few", rather than "some". In that case, you can sometimes use: 数【すう】(literally
"a number of...") in **front** of the word. It does _not_ work with
everything, so be careful.

Typical uses of 数 include people (人) or units of time (日, 週, 年 etc.):

```

    彼女には数人のペンフレンドがいる  "She has a few pen pals."
    
    私はもう数週間滞在しています。 "I am staying for a few more weeks."
    
    数分後に電話が鳴った。　"A few minutes later, the telephone rang."
    
```
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2011-06-24T05:55:51.880
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