few
few — determiner
1. placed before a plural noun to mean some — a small but not zero number of people
placed before a plural noun to mean some — a small but not zero number of people or things
Rania invited a few friends to her birthday party.
a few + plural noun (positive meaning)
After reading just a few pages of the novel, Yan decided it was not for her.
a few + plural noun (showing sufficiency — only a few pages needed to decide)
There are a few good restaurants near the train station, so we can walk to any of them for dinner.
Christopher has a few coins in his pocket for the bus fare.
- a few + plural noun
- quite a few (belongs to sense 2)
- a few of the + plural noun
- some
more neutral and vague about quantity
- several
suggests a slightly larger number, usually more than two or three
- a couple of
more specific, usually means exactly two or a very small number
Grammar Patterns
a few + plural noun
a few of + plural noun phrase
Usage Note
This sense always uses the phrase 'a few' (with the article 'a'). Without 'a', the meaning becomes negative — 'not many' (see determiner sense 3).
Common Mistakes
2. used in the fixed phrase 'quite a few' to mean a surprisingly or notably large n
used in the fixed phrase 'quite a few' to mean a surprisingly or notably large number of people or things
Quite a few people showed up for the free concert in the park.
quite a few + plural noun (means 'a large number')
Amihan has visited quite a few countries in Asia this year, which surprised her relatives back home.
There were quite a few questions after the teacher's talk, so the session ran thirty minutes late.
Justin received quite a few birthday cards from his classmates — more than he got last year.
- quite a few + plural noun
- many
neutral, without the 'surprisingly' nuance
- numerous
more formal
- a good number of
slightly more formal, similar meaning
- few
in the 'not many' sense (determiner sense 3)
Grammar Patterns
quite a few + plural noun
quite a few of + plural noun phrase
Usage Note
Used only in the fixed expression 'quite a few'. Despite containing the word 'few', the meaning is the opposite — 'a large number'. The article 'a' is always required; 'quite few' without 'a' is incorrect.
Common Mistakes
3. placed before a plural noun to indicate not many — a smaller number than expecte
placed before a plural noun to indicate not many — a smaller number than expected, needed, or desired
Few students knew the answer when the teacher asked about the causes of the war.
few without 'a' = not many (negative sense)
Sade had few reasons to stay in the old apartment.
With few cars on the road, the journey was surprisingly fast.
Lucía found few shops still open at that late hour.
- very few
- too few
- relatively few
- few and far between
- not many
more explicit, less concise
- hardly any
stronger, suggests almost none
- scarcely any
more formal, similar to 'hardly any'
Grammar Patterns
few + plural noun
few of + plural noun phrase
Usage Note
Used without the article 'a'. Adding 'a' changes the meaning to a positive 'some' (see determiner sense 1). This sense carries a negative tone — it emphasizes that the number is disappointingly or surprisingly small.
Common Mistakes
4. used to say that something does not happen many times or does not exist in many
used to say that something does not happen many times or does not exist in many places; not common or frequent
Quiet evenings on the balcony are few for Chen, who works two jobs to support his family.
be few = not frequent (predicate use)
Chances to study at a top university are few, so Nora applied to every program she could.
Imran's visits to his hometown have become few since he moved abroad.
These old manuscripts are few and extremely valuable to collectors.
- are few
- become few
- few and far between
- rare
more general, can describe both events and objects
- infrequent
specifically about how often something happens
- scarce
focuses on availability rather than frequency
Grammar Patterns
be few (in frequency)
few and far between
Usage Note
Functions as a predicate adjective following the verb 'be' rather than modifying a noun directly. Common in the fixed phrase 'few and far between'. Unlike determiner senses 1-3, this sense describes frequency or existence rather than count of specific items.
Common Mistakes
few and far between
idiomSomething that is few and far between does not happen often.
Good job opportunities are few and far these days.
Did you find many wildflowers on your hike? No, they were few and far between.
few — adjective
1. attributive use of bare 'few' (without 'a'), often after another determiner like
attributive use of bare 'few' (without 'a'), often after another determiner like 'the' or a possessive, to stress that the amount is limited and typically less than what is needed or expected — for example, 'her few belongings' suggests she owns almost nothing
The museum displayed its few remaining treasures for the visitors.
few + noun (attributive, emphasizing limitation)
Stephanie packed her few belongings into a single bag.
The few brave volunteers who helped clean up the park received special thanks from the mayor.
the few + noun (attributive, emphasizing limitation)
Élise spent her few free hours reading by the window.
- few remaining
- few belongings
- few possessions
- her/his/their few + noun
Grammar Patterns
few + plural noun (attributive)
Usage Note
Used attributively (before a noun) to stress that the number of something is limited. Unlike the determiner use of 'few' which quantifies the whole noun phrase, this adjectival use modifies the noun more closely and often appears with possessives ('her few belongings') or other determiners ('the few remaining items').
Common Mistakes
2. attributive use of 'a few' before a noun indicating a small but sufficient quant
attributive use of 'a few' before a noun indicating a small but sufficient quantity whose exact number is not important — the tone is neutral or positive, focusing on existence rather than on the scarcity that bare 'few' suggests
Maeve bought a few apples from the market stall to bake a pie for dinner.
a few + noun (positive, unspecified small number)
The recipe calls for a few drops of lemon juice.
Eitan met a few old friends at the reunion and they all promised to meet again soon.
Can you spare a few minutes to help me with this box?
- a few minutes
- a few days
- a few times
- a few people
- a few drops
- some
even more neutral about the exact quantity
- a handful of
more informal, suggests a number you can count on one hand
- a couple of
usually means two, but can be used loosely for a small number
- many
a large number
Grammar Patterns
a few + plural noun (attributive)
Usage Note
This sense always uses the article 'a' before 'few'. The number is described as small but sufficient — the focus is on existence rather than limitation. Contrast with adjective sense 1 where 'few' without 'a' emphasizes scarcity.
Common Mistakes
few — noun
1. denoting a small set of people or things — used as a pronoun that refers back to
denoting a small set of people or things — used as a pronoun that refers back to a group mentioned earlier
Among the passengers, only a few had brought umbrellas.
a few as pronoun (refers back to a group)
The few who stayed until the end received a special gift.
A lucky few won tickets to the sold-out show.
Out of all the applicants, only a few were invited for an interview.
- a few of
- the few who
- only a few
- a select few
- a handful
more informal, suggests a very small number
- a minority
contrasts with the majority, more formal
- a small number
more explicit but less concise
- the majority
most of the group
- many
a large number
Grammar Patterns
the few (who...)
a few (of...)
Usage Note
Used as a pronoun to replace a noun already mentioned or understood from context. Takes a plural verb. The phrase 'the few' refers to all members of a small group, while 'a few' refers to an unspecified small number.
Common Mistakes
2. a limited number of people who are specially chosen, privileged, or set apart fr
a limited number of people who are specially chosen, privileged, or set apart from the larger group
Only the chosen few were invited to the private dinner with the author.
the chosen/privileged/select few (elite group)
The privileged few who own beachfront property often oppose new building rules.
In that exclusive club, membership is limited to a select few.
The festival's VIP area was reserved for a lucky few.
- the chosen few
- the privileged few
- the select few
- the lucky few
- the elite
focuses on superiority rather than small size
- the privileged
emphasizes advantages or special treatment
- the inner circle
suggests closeness and exclusivity
- the masses
the large general population
- everyone
all people without exception
Grammar Patterns
the chosen/privileged/select/lucky few
Usage Note
Almost always preceded by 'the' and an adjective such as 'chosen', 'select', 'privileged', or 'lucky'. Emphasizes exclusivity — the group is small because only certain people meet the requirements for membership.
Common Mistakes
Word family
- fewerdeterminer (comparative)B1
- fewestdeterminer (superlative)B2
- paucitynounC2
Synonym discussion
Sense: determiner/1
All four words indicate a small but unspecified quantity, but they differ in exactness and tone. 'A couple of' is the most specific, typically meaning exactly two or a very small number — you might say 'a couple of eggs' when making an omelette. 'Several' suggests a slightly larger range, usually more than two but fewer than many — 'several pages' might mean three to five. 'Some' is the most neutral and vague; it simply acknowledges existence without committing to a size ('some people like spicy food' — could be few or many). 'A few' sits between 'a couple of' and 'several', carrying a positive tone that emphasizes sufficiency rather than shortage. For example: 'I need a few minutes to finish' implies the time is available; 'I need a couple of minutes' sounds more urgent and specific.
Common collocations
Nouns
- people
- times
- days
- minutes
- years
- things
- words
Adverbs
- very
- too
- relatively
- comparatively
- quite (with 'a few')
Phrases
Prepositions
Etymology
The word 'few' traces back to Old English 'fēawe', which meant 'small in number'. This came from a Proto-Germanic root *fawai, which is related to similar words in other Germanic languages like Old High German 'fao' and Gothic 'fawai'. Going further back, the root is Proto-Indo-European *pau-, meaning 'small' or 'few', which also gave rise to Latin 'paucus' (few, little) — the source of English words like 'paucity' and 'paucal'.