TKG English Learner's Dictionary

few

2 entries: pronoun · determiner

fewpronoun

American /fju/ British /fjuː/
very commondefining vocabulary

  1. not manynot many people or things, fewer than expected or wanted

    Bare few has a negative feel: it says the number is smaller than hoped for. Compare this with a few (sense 2), which reports a small number in a plain way. Directly before a noun, few is a determiner, a separate entry.

    Collocations

    phrase few if any, precious few

  2. a few: somea small number of people or things

    A few simply reports a small number, without the disappointed feel of bare few.

    Collocations

    phrase a few of, quite a few

Usage

Bare few says not enough; a few says a small but real number, the same split as with little and a little. Few used alone or with of is a pronoun; directly before a noun, it is a determiner (few books), a separate entry.

Common mistakes

Only few showed interest, which pleased the organizers. Only a few showed interest, which pleased the organizers.
Bare few, standing alone, sounds negative; a small number reported in a positive way needs a few.

See also few (few directly before a noun: few books)

For translators

Meaning across languages The difference between bare few (not enough) and a few (a small but real number) has no exact equivalent in many languages; a translator must choose based on the tone of the sentence, not the number itself.

fewdeterminer

American /fju/ British /fjuː/
very commondefining vocabulary

Few and a few are the same word before a plural noun, but few by itself suggests not enough, while a few simply reports a small number.

  1. not manyused before a plural noun to mean not many, fewer than expected or wanted

    Bare few, without a, has a negative feel: it says the number is smaller than hoped for. Compare this with a few (sense 2), which reports a small number in a plain, positive way.

    Collocations

    phrase very few, too few

    Antonyms many

    Compare little (little is the uncountable match of few: few friends, little money); several

  2. a few: someused with a before a plural noun to mean a small number, reported in a plain way

    A few simply reports a small number, without the disappointed feel of bare few; unlike bare few, it does not suggest the number is too small.

    Collocations

    phrase a few minutes, quite a few, a few more

Usage

Bare few says not enough; a few says a small but real number. The same split applies to little and a little with uncountable nouns. The comparative of few is fewer, and the superlative is fewest: fewer people, the fewest mistakes. Few used alone, without a noun, is a separate entry.

Common mistakes

I have few friends, so I'm happy. I have a few friends, so I'm happy.
Bare few sounds negative; a positive sentence about a small, sufficient number needs a few.
She has a few money. She has a little money.
Few and a few go with plural countable nouns; uncountable nouns need little and a little.

See also little; few (few used alone, without a following noun: very few succeed)

For translators

Meaning across languages The difference between bare few (not enough) and a few (a small but real number) has no equivalent in some languages, where one word covers both; the article carries the meaning in English.
Grammar trap Few and a few go only with plural countable nouns; the equivalent for uncountable nouns is little and a little.