A Few, A Little, Few, Little

Level: A2. A few, a little, few and little all talk about small amounts. Two choices decide which one you need: is the noun countable or uncountable, and do you want to sound positive (“enough”) or negative (“not enough”)? Get those two right and the word follows.

The rule

A quantifier is a word that goes before a noun to show amount without a number. A countable noun can be counted and has a plural (one apple, two apples). An uncountable noun cannot be counted directly and has no plural (milk, money, time, advice).

These four quantifiers split along those two lines.

First, the noun type:

• A few and few go with plural countable nouns: a few apples, few cars.
• A little and little go with uncountable nouns: a little milk, little time.

Second, the little word “a” changes the meaning completely:

• A few / a little are positive. They mean some — and usually enough: I have a few friends here (some, and I am glad).
• Few / little (no a) are negative. They mean almost none — and usually not enough: I have few friends here (hardly any, and it is a problem).

So a few and few use the same noun; the a is what flips the feeling from “I have some” to “I barely have any”.

Which word with which noun

A few vs few, a little vs little

Example sentences

Common mistakes

• ❌ I have a few water. → ✅ I have a little water. Water is uncountable, so use a little, not a few.
• ❌ She has a little books. → ✅ She has a few books. Books is plural countable, so use a few.
• ❌ There is few milk left. → ✅ There is little milk left. Uncountable nouns take little, not few.
• ❌ A few of informations. → ✅ A little information. Information is uncountable and has no plural.
• ❌ I have few good friends, I am lonely. → ✅ I have a few good friends. If you mean “some, and that is fine”, keep the a.
• ❌ He bought a few apple. → ✅ He bought a few apples. A few needs a plural, so add -s.

A short conversation

A: Do we have enough food for the guests? B: We have a few pizzas and a little salad, so the food is fine. A: And drinks? B: That is the problem — there is very little juice and few bottles of water left.

Usage notes

• Positive vs negative in one pair. A few and few use the same noun; only the a changes the message. I made a few mistakes sounds relaxed; I made few mistakes almost boasts; Few people came is a complaint.
• Very, quite, only. Very few and very little push the amount down (“almost none”). Quite a few does the opposite — it means a fairly large number. Only a few and only a little stress that the amount is small.
• Dropping the noun. You can use these words alone when the noun is clear: “How many came?” — “A few.” / “Is there any milk?” — “A little.”
• Formal tone. Bare few and little can sound formal or literary. In everyday speech people often prefer not many, not much, or hardly any: We have hardly any time instead of We have little time.

Compared with…

• Much and many also measure quantity, but they ask or state how much / how many — often a large amount or a question. Use many with countables and much with uncountables. See Much, Many, A Lot Of.
• Some and any say the amount is unspecified rather than small: some in positives and offers, any in negatives and questions. See Some and Any.
• Whether a noun takes the few family or the little family depends on counting, so revisit Countable and Uncountable Nouns.

Quick recap before you practise.

Practice

Quiz

Recap cheat-sheet

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