How do you use "few" in a sentence?

Few people know about this place. I'll be ready in a few minutes. There are very few options left.

few

Q: What does "few" mean?

A small number of; not many 'Few' means not many, with countable nouns. Important distinction: 'few' (negative - almost none) vs 'a few' (positive - some). 'Quite a few' means a considerable number. 'Few and far between' means rare. 'The few' can refer to a minority group ('the happy few').

Vocabulary Word BritishAmerican ★★★★★ Very Common Neutral

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Meaning: A small number of; not many

很少，几乎没有；一些

pocos; unos pocos

ほとんどない；少しの

거의 없는; 약간의

'Few' means not many, with countable nouns. Important distinction: 'few' (negative - almost none) vs 'a few' (positive - some). 'Quite a few' means a considerable number. 'Few and far between' means rare. 'The few' can refer to a minority group ('the happy few').

「few」意为不多，用于可数名词。重要区别：「few」（否定——几乎没有）vs「a few」（肯定——一些）。「quite a few」意为相当多。「few and far between」意为稀少。「the few」可以指少数群体（「the happy few」）。

«Few» significa no muchos, con sustantivos contables. Distinción importante: «few» (negativo - casi ninguno) vs «a few» (positivo - algunos). «Quite a few» significa un número considerable. «Few and far between» significa raro. «The few» puede referirse a un grupo minoritario.

「few」は多くない、可算名詞と共に使います。重要な違い：「few」（否定的—ほとんどない）vs「a few」（肯定的—いくつか）。「quite a few」はかなりの数を意味します。「few and far between」は稀なことを意味します。「the few」は少数派グループを指すことがあります。

'Few'는 가산 명사와 함께 많지 않음을 의미합니다. 중요한 구별: 'few'(부정적—거의 없음) vs 'a few'(긍정적—약간). 'Quite a few'는 상당수를 의미합니다. 'Few and far between'은 드물다는 뜻입니다. 'The few'는 소수 집단을 가리킬 수 있습니다('the happy few').

Examples

Few people know about this place.
很少有人知道这个地方。
Poca gente conoce este lugar.
この場所を知っている人はほとんどいません。
이 장소를 아는 사람은 거의 없습니다.
I'll be ready in a few minutes.
我几分钟后就准备好。
Estaré listo en unos minutos.
数分で準備ができます。
몇 분이면 준비됩니다.
There are very few options left.
剩下的选择非常少了。
Quedan muy pocas opciones.
残っている選択肢はほとんどありません。
남아 있는 선택지가 거의 없습니다.

Pronunciation

Usage Guide

Context: general

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Old English 'fēawe', related to Latin 'paucus' (little, few) and French 'peu' (little). The subtle distinction between 'few' (hardly any — negative) and 'a few' (some — positive) is one of English's trickiest grammar points for learners, as a single article completely reverses the implication.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

few

Examples

Pronunciation

Usage Guide

Origin & History

Cultural Context

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