- Alcuni/AlcuneThe indefinite adjective alcuni/e means some, a few, or several. It is used primarily in the plural.
Oggi usciamo con alcuni amici.
We’re going out with a few friends today.
Alcune persone entrano nella tua vita per una ragione.
Some people come into your life for a reason.
Sto scrivendo una lista di alcune cose importanti
da portare in campeggio.
I’m writing a list of some important things to bring
on a camping trip.
Alcuni pomodori sono insipidi, altri sono molto saporiti.
Several tomatoes are tasteless, others are very savory.
NB: You can also use the singular form of the above word, alcuno/a. In contemporary Italian, it is generally used in negative phrases to mean no or not any. For cases in which alcuno modifies masculine, singular nouns, it follows the same rules as the indefinite article.Non avevamo alcun dubbio.
We didn’t have any doubt.
Non c’è alcun bisogno di andare a quella festa a Brooklyn.
There is no need to go to that party in Brooklyn.
Supin giacea in terra alcuna gente... (Dante Alighieri)
Several people lay supine on the ground... - ParecchioParecchio is an indefinite adjective that means quite, some, a lot, or several. Parecchio can be used in the singular or in the plural. In the singular, it is used with uncountable nouns.
Studio l’inglese da parecchio tempo.
I’ve been studying English for quite some time.
In marzo c’è stata parecchia pioggia.
In March there was a lot of rain.
When used in the plural, parecchi/e generally comes before the noun it modifies and is never preceded by an article.È difficile per parecchi studenti recarsi altrove
per continuare il percorso di studi.
It is difficult for many students to go elsewhere
to continue their studies.
Oggi in giardino ci sono parecchie api.
There are a lot of bees in the garden today. - CertoCerto is an indefinite adjective that means certain. When used in the singular it always comes before the subject. As in English, it can also be used in a pejorative sense (Certain people...) or in an illustrative way (A certain Mr. Rossini...).
Ad una certa età molte donne americane si tagliano
i capelli molto corti.
At a certain age, many American women cut their
hair very short.
Per un certo tempo non l’ho più visto.
For a certain time, I didn’t see him any longer.
Certa gente non sa stare zitta.
Certain people don’t know when to shut up.
Certi soggetti non mi piacciono.
I don’t like certain subjects.
È venuto un certo Signor Rossini.
A certain Mr. Rossini came by.