unas
/oo-nahs/
some
As an article, unas means 'some' or 'a few' when referring to feminine plural nouns, like unas flores (some flowers).
📝 In Action
Tengo unas preguntas para ti.
A1I have some questions for you.
Necesito unas tijeras nuevas.
A1I need some new scissors.
Vimos unas casas muy bonitas en el pueblo.
A2We saw some very beautiful houses in the town.
💡 Grammar Points
The 'Some' Word for Feminine Things
Use unas before a feminine word when you're talking about more than one of them, but you don't know or don't want to say the exact number. Think of it as the plural of una (a/an).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Mixing up Gender: `unos` vs. `unas`
Mistake: "Quiero comprar unos flores."
Correction: Quiero comprar unas flores. The word for flowers, `flores`, is feminine, so you need to use the feminine form `unas` to match it.
⭐ Usage Tips
Like 'a/an' for Plurals
In English, we say 'a car' but just 'cars' for the plural. In Spanish, you almost always need a word in front. Unas is like the plural version of 'a/an' for feminine things.
When used before a number, unas acts as an adverb meaning 'about' or 'approximately', used to estimate a quantity.
unas(Adverb)
about
?approximating a number
around
?approximating a number
,approximately
?more formal approximation
📝 In Action
La reunión empieza en unas dos horas.
A2The meeting starts in about two hours.
Había unas cincuenta personas en la fila.
A2There were about fifty people in the line.
El libro cuesta unas veinte libras.
B1The book costs around twenty pounds.
💡 Grammar Points
Making Numbers Less Exact
Place unas right before a number to show that it's just an estimate, not a precise count. It's a super useful way to sound more natural when you're not sure of the exact amount.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Forgetting to Match Gender
Mistake: "Hay un treinta chicas esperando."
Correction: Hay unas treinta chicas esperando. Even when used with a number, `unas` still has to match the feminine word it's describing (`chicas`).
⭐ Usage Tips
Quick and Easy Estimates
Instead of saying the more formal aproximadamente, just popping unas (or unos for masculine things) before a number is a quick, common, and natural way to make an estimate.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: unas
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses `unas` to mean 'about' or 'approximately'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between `unas` and `algunas`?
They are very similar and often you can use either one for 'some'. `Algunas` can sometimes feel a little more specific, like 'some, but not others', while `unas` is more general. As a beginner, you can treat them as almost the same.
Why does `unas` have to match the gender of the noun? English doesn't do that!
You're right, it's a big difference from English! In Spanish, many words that describe things (like articles and adjectives) change their endings to 'agree' with the noun they describe. It's a key feature of the language. So, for a feminine plural noun like `casas`, you need the feminine plural article `unas`.