When the noun after some is plural, it means بعض (unspecified number or amount of people or things). But when the noun after it is singular, it means ما (undefined person or thing). So the translation of your sentences: 1. Someone is standing outside = شخص ما يقف في الخارج. 2. We want to travel to some other places = نريد السفر لبعض الأماكن الأخرى. 3. By the way, I need some pencils = بالمناسبة، أريد بعض أقلام الرصاص. 4. Did they come from somewhere near? = هل أتوا من مكان ما قريب؟ 5. Something is not right. = شيء ما ليس صحيحا. 6. Some things can't be bought by money. = بعض الأشياء لا يمكن شراءها بالمال. Another thing that you should be aware of is that when the word after some is (مضاف + مصاف إليه (something like the structure noun + noun in English)) and singular, we just make the second word (المضاف إليه) undefined. For example, if the word pencils in your third sentence were singular we would not use neither ما nor بعض: 3. By the way, I need some pencil = بالمناسبة، أريد قلم رصاص.

Some ما / بعض 1/ شخص ما، 3/ بعض الاقلام 4/مكان ما 5/شئ ما 6/بعض الاشياء لا يمكن ان تشتري بالمال And I think ما with the singular بعض with the plural شخص مفرد so the use ما and it becomes شخص ما الاقلام جمع so they use بعض and it becomes بعض الاقلام And as well with the others examples

versaminor, shokran! By the way, is your name related to stars?

some = بعض