# joitain/muutamia



## 盲人瞎馬

Siellä oli joitain/muutamia ongelmia.

Is the sentence above translated as "There were some/a few problems" regardless of which word one chooses to use or is there a difference?​


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## Finland

Hello!



Vitalore said:


> Siellä oli joitain/muutamia ongelmia.
> Is the sentence above translated as "There were some/a few problems" regardless of which word one chooses to use or is there a difference?​




In practice, there is no difference between joita(k)in and muutamia.

HTH
S​


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## MaijaPoppanen

In my opinion there is a slight difference between _joita(k)in_ and _muutamia_. 

_Joita(k)in_ may imply that the person doesn't know what they were or that (s)he thinks they weren't so important.

_Siellä oli joitakin ongelmia_. (The person knows there were problems, but (s)he doesn't necessary know what kind of problems there were.)
_Sinne tuli joitakin tyyppejä. _(He/She didn't necessary know who they were.)
_Sinne tuli myös joitakin ystäviäni. _(Of course (s)he knows who they were, but (s)he may think they weren't as important as the rest of the persons who came.)

_Siellä oli muutamia ongelmia._ (The person knows what kind of problems there were.)


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## 盲人瞎馬

MaijaPoppanen said:


> In my opinion there is a slight difference between _joita(k)in_ and _muutamia_.
> 
> _Joita(k)in_ may imply that the person doesn't know what they were or that (s)he thinks they weren't so important.
> 
> _Siellä oli joitakin ongelmia_. (The person knows there were problems, but (s)he doesn't necessary know what kind of problems there were.)
> _Sinne tuli joitakin tyyppejä. _(He/She didn't necessary know who they were.)
> _Sinne tuli myös joitakin ystäviäni. _(Of course (s)he knows who they were, but (s)he may think they weren't as important as the rest of the persons who came.)
> 
> _Siellä oli muutamia ongelmia._ (The person knows what kind of problems there were.)



I have this impression too when using muutamia.
Can any one support his theory?


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## Finland

Hello!



Vitalore said:


> I have this impression too when using muutamia.
> Can any one support his theory?



It can indeed be so, although in such nuances context (and intonation, if it is about spoken language) plays quite an important rôle as well. In many neutral cases, the choice between joitakin and muutamia can be quite indifferent; in certain other contexts the meaning actually can change a bit. The difference is like the one between eräs and jokin/joku.

HTH
S


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