What you'll learn
By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to use few and a few with plural countable nouns and tell the difference in meaning.
When do I use it?
Both few and a few go before plural countable nouns. The tiny word "a" changes the meaning completely:
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a few = some, a small but positive number: "I have a few good friends." (some, and that is nice)
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few = not many, a negative idea: "I have few friends." (hardly any, and that sounds sad)
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A few people came to the meeting. (some came — good)
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Few people came to the meeting. (almost nobody came — bad)
Use them when the number is small but you do not give an exact figure.
How do I form it?
a few / few + plural countable noun
- I need a few minutes to finish. (some time)
- Few students passed the exam. (almost none)
- She has a few good ideas. (some ideas)
- There are few restaurants open at this hour. (almost none)
Common mistakes for Spanish speakers
Spanish "unos pocos" and "pocos" look similar, but in English "a few" and "few" mean very different things. "Unos pocos" (positive) is "a few", while "pocos" (negative, "hardly any") is "few". So "tengo pocos amigos y soy feliz" must be "I have a few friends and I'm happy", because "few friends" would mean you are lonely. Also remember these only go with countable plurals: "few water" is wrong.
Positive feeling → a few (some). 'Hardly any' → few, without 'a'.
Practice
Multiple Choice
A2Which sentence sounds positive?
Fill in the Blank
A2I've been to Italy times, but never to Rome.
Hint: You mean 'some times' — a positive number — so use 'a few'.
Find the Error
A2Sentence Transformation
A2Task: Rewrite using a few
Hint: 'A few' means 'some' with countable nouns.
Practice Speaking
Apply what you've learned in a real conversation with AI feedback.
Level: A2