a few
∞
1.0
- determiner
- /ə fjuː/
- But let me just ask a few more questions.
- a few years
- only a few
- just a few
Loading YouTube…
Watch on YouTubeI guess because I had a few small issues.
- I guess because I had a few small issues.
- But let me just ask a few more questions.
- And I would like to quote a few words from his speech.
- I will try to add a few further thoughts.
- There's I think a few people who have both.
- I've been out on a few quote UN quote dates.
- We have of course a few from Azaro Most wanted.
- Yeah, there's, I mean, there's a few newspaper articles.
- And so your energy out is a few different buckets.
- So let's look at a few more examples.
Examples
-
Let us study the problem from our perspective and come up with a few possible solutions.
Academic text (2011) -
I've seen her a few times at the local café.
-
The sun will be up in a few hours.
-
I saw Peter with a few others earlier.
-
You only have a few days left.
-
You are not in the same situation you were a few months ago.
-
And I would like to quote a few words from his speech.
-
So let's look at a few more examples.
-
I've run into a few of them recently.
-
The students are Black and Latino, with a few more women than men.
Academic text (2011)
Synonyms
∞
1.0
A not exact amount or number that is more than a little
∞
1.0
A small number of people or things
∞
1.0
A small number of people or things, not many
∞
1.0
More than two but not many people or things
315
1.0
A small number of people or things
306
1.6
An amount you can hold in one hand or a small number of things
144
1.0
A small number of things or people, usually two but sometimes a few
Antonyms
How Many
Surface Forms
Morphology
a + few
The meaning 'a small number, more than one but not many' is directly compositional from the determiner 'a' plus the adjective 'few' — a B1 learner who knows 'few' and the article 'a' can infer this phrase. Although there is a subtle pragmatic contrast with bare 'few' (which can imply almost none), the basic quantitative sense is transparent and cross-linguistically common.
Etymology
A few comes from putting the small word a before few to show a small number you can count on your fingers. Think of someone offering a few cookies, not many but more than one, so a few means 'more than one but not many'.