HSK · Level 2
130 words
Chinese word
些
Pronunciation
Pinyinxiē
Meaning
- pronounsome
Example
我有些事要做。wǒ yǒu xiē shì yào zuò
I have some things to do.
More examples
我吃了一些东西。wǒ chī le yì xiē dōng xī
I ate some things.
Core concept
Draws a soft boundary around a small, indefinite amount rather than giving a precise count or measure.
Common phrases
一些东西yì xiē dōng xī
some things
有些人yǒu xiē rén
some people
这些问题zhè xiē wèn tí
these problems
Similar words
一些yì xiē: Some unspecified things or amount, placed before a noun.
几jǐ: Several or a few, with the number left uncertain, used before a measure word.
一点儿yì diǎnr: A little of something or a slight degree, in a conversational style.
若干ruò gān: Some unspecified quantity, with a formal or written-language feel.
Definition in Chinese
作限定词或代词，表示若干、不定的少量或部分，常与一些、有些、这些等组合使用以指代或限定对象，单独使用较少见。zuò xiàn dìng cí huò dài cí biǎo shì ruò gān bú dìng de shǎo liàng huò bù fèn cháng yǔ yì xiē yǒu xiē zhè xiē děng zǔ hé shǐ yòng yǐ zhǐ dài huò xiàn dìng duì xiàng dān dú shǐ yòng jiào shǎo jiàn
Word origin
The character 些 (xiē, "some") began with the idea of a small amount and later weakened into a function word that marks an indefinite quantity.
Usage tips
- One Chinese quantity word can apply to both countable things and substances, so context shows whether it refers to several items or a small amount.