Translation guide
In Japanese, expressing 'several people' depends on the level of formality and whether you are counting people or referring to them in a group. The most common and neutral way is to use 数人 (すうにん). For casual speech, 何人か (なんにんか) is natural. In formal or written contexts, 数名 (すうめい) is preferred. Note that Japanese often omits the counter for people when the context is clear, but including it adds precision.
Express 'several people' in a neutral, everyday context, suitable for both spoken and written Japanese.
The most standard and neutral way to say 'several people'. It can be used in most situations, from casual conversation to formal writing.
数人が集まっていた。
Several people had gathered.
数人の友達が来る予定です。
Several friends are planning to come.
A very common and casual way to say 'several people' or 'a few people'. It literally means 'some number of people' and is used frequently in spoken Japanese.
何人かが手を挙げた。
Several people raised their hands.
パーティーには何人か知っている人がいた。
There were several people I knew at the party.
A more formal version of 数人, often used in written language, news reports, or official contexts. It uses the formal counter 名 (めい) for people.
数名の社員が表彰された。
Several employees were commended.
Express 'several people' in very casual conversation, often implying a small, indefinite number.
As above, this is the go-to casual expression. It's versatile and natural in everyday speech.
昨日、何人かで飲みに行った。
Yesterday, I went out for drinks with several people.
While neutral, 数人 can also be used casually without sounding stiff. It's slightly more precise than 何人か.
数人でゲームをした。
We played a game with several people.
Express 'several people' in formal writing, business contexts, or news reports.
The standard formal choice. It uses the respectful counter 名 and is appropriate for official documents, reports, and polite speech.
会議には数名の専門家が出席した。
Several experts attended the meeting.
数名の方からご意見をいただきました。
We received opinions from several people.
Acceptable in formal contexts, but slightly less formal than 数名. It is still widely used in newspapers and reports.
Emphasize that the number of people is small, like 'only a few people' or 'just several'.
Using しか with a negative verb emphasizes that there were only a few people. It conveys a sense of limitation or scarcity.
パーティーには数人しか来なかった。
Only several people came to the party.
Adding ほんの (mere, just) before 数人 emphasizes the smallness of the number. It sounds a bit more expressive.
ほんの数人しかその秘密を知らない。
Only a mere handful of people know the secret.
数人 (すうにん) is the most neutral and can be used in almost any situation. 何人か (なんにんか) is more casual and conversational, often implying an unspecified small number. 数名 (すうめい) is formal and typically used in writing or polite speech. For everyday conversation, 何人か is often the most natural choice, while 数人 is safe for both casual and formal settings.
何人か来るって言ってたよ。
He said several people are coming. (casual)
数名の方がお見えになりました。
Several guests have arrived. (very formal)
In Japanese, when the context is clear, you can often omit the specific counter for people and just use a generic expression like 何人か or even いくつか (for things). However, using 人 (にん) or 名 (めい) makes it explicit that you are talking about people, which is usually preferred for clarity.
Several people were injured in the accident.