some for Mandarin speakers — pronunciation and common errors

False friend

一些 (yī xiē) means “a few; a little; some” — While 一些 (yī xiē) is a common gloss for 'some', it is primarily used in Mandarin for small quantities. Learners may avoid using 'some' to describe large but indefinite amounts because the Mandarin equivalent implies a smaller 'few'.

Grammar

Mandarin lacks a distinct plural inflection for nouns and uses unspecified measure words or 些 (xiē) to denote quantity. Learners often omit the mandatory plural marker -s on the following countable noun, producing errors like 'some book' instead of 'some books'.

Examples

• I need to buy some milk at the store.
• We have some extra chairs in the back room if more guests arrive for the presentation.