Few, A Few, Little, A Little – When to Use Them
Few, a few, little, and a little all mean “some” or “a small amount.” But little and few are often used in a negative way, to say there is less than we want or expect.
Few and A Few (Countable Nouns)
We use few and a few only with countable nouns—things we can count (like apples, books, or friends).
A few means “some,” a small number, but enough.
I have a few friends.
(I have some friends.)
(I have some friends.)
Few means “not many,” almost none, less than expected.
I have few friends.
(I have almost no friends.)
(I have almost no friends.)
Little and A Little (Uncountable Nouns)
We use little and a little with uncountable nouns—things we cannot count (like water, money, or salt).
A little means “some,” a small amount but enough.
I have a little money.
(I have some money.)
(I have some money.)
Little means “not much,” almost none, less than expected.
I have little money.
(I have almost no money.)
(I have almost no money.)
A Little + Adjective or Adverb
We can use a little with adjectives or adverbs to mean “a small amount.”
She seems a little nicer today.
He needs a little more time.
A Little as an Adverb
We use a little to describe how much an action happens.
His voice was shaking a little when he spoke.
Useful Expressions with Little and A Little
a little bit – a small amount
Can I have a little bit of your time?
in a little bit – soon, after a short time
We will meet in a little bit.
a little something – a small gift or treat
Here’s a little something for you.
precious little – very little, almost none
We had precious little time to finish.
little by little – slowly, step by step
I’m learning English little by little.
Few and A Few + Useful Expressions
few and far between – rare
Good friends are few and far between.
a good few – quite a lot
He has a good few books.
quite a few – quite a lot
She has quite a few friends.
have a few – to drink some alcoholic drinks
Don’t be shy, have a few.
a few choice words – some strong or angry words
They exchanged a few choice words after the argument.
precious few – very few
She had precious few chances to speak.
Using Few, A Few, Little, and A Little with Articles or Pronouns
When there is an article (the, a) or a pronoun (his, this) before the noun, add of after few, a few, little, or a little.
She has quite a few of his records.
Can I have a little of this juice?
A Little and A Few as Pronouns
You can use a little and a few without a noun when the meaning is clear from context.
He told them a little about the problem.
There weren’t many people, just a few.
