differences between "algo de" and "algunos"

Question

what is the difference between the usage of "algo de" and "algunos" Both mean "some". eg: "¿Qué hay en el armario? Algo de ropa."

and "¿Qué hay en el lavaplatos? Algunos platos."

how do i know when to use which one?

Answer 1

Algo de = some in the sense of a little bit of - Sé algo de español - I know some Spanish.

Alguno = some in the sense of an indeterminate number - He leído algunos libros interesantes - I have read some interesting books.

"¿Qué hay en el armario? Algo de ropa." = Some (small number of) clothes.

"¿Qué hay en el lavaplatos? Algunos platos." = Some (unknown number of) dishes

It's subtle, but there is a difference.

thanks a lot! :) - arunank2001, Aug 8, 2010

Answer 2

Algo de = some meaning "a little bit". e.g. Tengo algo de (or un poco de) dinero.

Unos = some as in an indeterminate number e.g. hay unos libros en la mesa.

Algunos = some as meaning "certain" e.g. Algunas personas odian cerveza or, simply Algunos odian cerveza.

There are other uses of the word some. Sometimes it isn't even translated e.g. "Would you like some coffee?" -- ¿Quieres café?

Also, some of the words are, in reality, interchangeable according to context.