unos
Lemma Details
Translation: some; a few; about; approximately
Part of Speech: determiner
Etymology: Derived from Latin 'unus' meaning 'one'. It's the masculine plural indefinite article in Spanish. While English uses 'some' or 'a few', Spanish uses the plural form of 'uno' (one) to indicate an indefinite quantity. This connection between 'one' and 'some' shows how languages conceptualize indefinite quantities differently.
Commonality: 90%
Guessability: 70%
Register: neutral
Mnemonics
- Think of 'unos' as 'uno' (one) with an 's' added to make it plural - 'ones' which becomes 'some'.
- The 'un-' in 'unos' sounds like the 'un-' in 'uncertain' - which fits its meaning of an indefinite quantity.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Cultural Context
Used frequently in everyday Spanish to indicate an indefinite quantity. Unlike English, Spanish requires these indefinite articles in many contexts where English might omit them.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: 'Unos' is the plural masculine form meaning 'some' or 'a few', while 'uno' is singular masculine meaning 'one'.
This word:
Necesito unos libros.
I need some books.
Confused word:
Necesito un libro.
I need one book.
Notes: The difference is simply singular vs. plural, but this changes the meaning from a specific quantity (one) to an indefinite quantity (some).
Mnemonic: Remember: 's' in 'unos' means plural (some), no 's' in 'uno' means singular (one).
Explanation: 'Unos' is masculine plural while 'unas' is feminine plural. Both mean 'some' but are used with different gendered nouns.
Confused word:
Compré unas camisas.
I bought some shirts (feminine).
Notes: In Spanish, the indefinite article must match the gender of the noun it modifies.
Mnemonic: 'Unos' for masculine nouns, 'unas' for feminine nouns - match the ending vowel with the gender.