veel vs vele

[Dalieux]

unlike heel and hele, which are different inflections to agree with the gender of the word they are modifying, veel and vele don't seem to follow the same logic.
( i.e. both er is veel ijs and er zijn veel appels are correct)

Sometimes de word vele is used, though. What's the difference between saying:
De man heeft veel mee-eters.
De man heeft vele mee-eters.
?

 

[jazyk]

I've seen vele only before animate nouns, and even there veel is also possible. I think vele is more literary.

 

[Peterdg]

According to the ANS:

- If there is no definite article before the plural noun, then "veel" as well as "vele" can be used. In that case, "vele' is more found in writing and it stresses the piece-by-piece character of the enumeration
- If there is a definite article, a demonstrative article, a possesive article, then only "vele" is possible.
"De vele aanwezigen"