(a) little은 (a) little + 불가산(uncountable) 명사로 쓴다.(a) little + uncountable noun
- (a) little water
- (a) little money
- (a) little time
- (a) little soup
(a) few는 (a) few + 복수형(plural) 명사로 쓴다. (a) few + plural noun
- (a) few books
- (a) few questions
- (a) few people
- (a) few days
a little은 조금 그러나 많지는 않은. a little = some but not much
- She didn’t eat anything, but she drank a little water.
- I speak a little Spanish. (= some Spanish but not much)
- A: Can you speak Spanish?
B: A little.
a few는 조금 그러나 많지는 않은. a few = some but not much
- Last night I wrote a few letters.
- We’re going away for a few days.
- I speak a few words of Spanish.
- A: Do you have any stamps?
B: A few. Do you want one?
(a 없는) little은 거의 아닌 혹은 거의 없는. a little (without a) = almost no or almost nothing
- There was little food in the fridge. It was almost empty.
very little을 쓸 수 있다. You can say very little.
- Dan is very thin because he eats very little. (= almost nothing)
(a 없는) few는 거의 없는. a few (without a) = almost no
- There were few people in the theater. It was almost empty.
very few를 쓸 수 있다. You can say very few.
- Your English is very good. You make very few mistakes.
little and a little
A little은 긍정적인 느낌이다. A little is a positive idea. 🙂
- They have a little money, but they’re not rich. (= they have some money)
Little (또는 very little)은 부정적인 느낌이다. Little (or very little) is a negative idea. 🙁
- They are very poor. They have (very) little money. (= almost no money)
few and a few
A few는 긍정적인 느낌이다. A few is a positive idea. 🙂
- I have a few friends, so I’m not lonely. (= I have some friends)
Few (or very few)는 부정적인 느낌이다. Few (or very few) is a negative idea. 🙁
- I’m sad and I’m lonely. I have (very) few friends. (= almost no friends)