Phrase guide

a few

det · pron · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • /ə ˈfjuː/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

det

Meaning 1

A small number of (a set of countable items); more than one but not very many; especially, more than two but not very many (explained in usage note at several).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • She loves to sing karaoke, but there are a few songs that she refuses to cover.
  • After a dismal few months my life at long last changed for the better.
  • Only a few miles separates the villages.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: a couple of, several

Antonyms: one, zero, no, a lot of, many, numerous, countless

Broader terms: multiple, various

2

pron

Meaning 2

A small number of things.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Regrets, I've had a few, but then again too few to mention.
  • Did everyone go home? ―No, a few (of them) are still chatting.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

96 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: قَلِيل (qalīl) — a small number of
  • Bashkir: бер нисә (ber nisə) — a small number of
  • Belarusian: не́калькі (njékalʹki) — a small number of
  • Bulgarian: няколко (njakolko) — a small number of
  • Bulgarian: малко (malko) — a small number of
  • Chinese Mandarin: 幾個 /几个 (jǐgè) — a small number of
  • Chinese Mandarin: 一些 (yīxiē) — a small number of
  • Chinese Mandarin: 若干 (ruògān) — a small number of
  • Maore Comorian: wana — a small number of
  • Czech: několik — a small number of
  • Esperanto: kelkaj — a small number of
  • Finnish: muutama — a small number of
  • Finnish: jokunen — a small number of
  • French: quelques — a small number of
  • German: einige — a small number of
  • German: ein paar — a small number of
  • Haitian Creole: kèk — a small number of
  • Hebrew: כמה (kama) — a small number of
  • Hungarian: néhány — a small number of
  • Hungarian: pár — a small number of
  • Hungarian: egypár — a small number of
  • Irish: cúpla — a small number of
  • Italian: pochi — a small number of
  • Italian: alcuni — a small number of
  • Korean: 약간 (yakgan) — a small number of
  • Latin: nōnnūllus — a small number of
  • Latin: aliquot — a small number of
  • Macedonian: не́колку (nékolku) — a small number of
  • Macedonian: ма́лку (málku) — a small number of
  • Polish: kilka — a small number of
  • Polish: kilku — a small number of
  • Polish: niewiele — a small number of
  • Polish: niewielu — a small number of
  • Portuguese: alguns — a small number of
  • Portuguese: uns — a small number of
  • Romanian: câțiva — a small number of
  • Romanian: câteva — a small number of
  • Russian: не́сколько (néskolʹko) — a small number of
  • Russian: немно́го (nemnógo) — a small number of
  • Spanish: unos — a small number of
  • Spanish: algunos — a small number of
  • Swahili: uchache wa — a small number of
  • Swedish: några — a small number of
  • Tagalog: may ilan — a small number of
  • Tamil: நாலு (nālu) — a small number of
  • Tamil: சில (cila) — a small number of
  • Ukrainian: декілька (dekilʹka) — a small number of
  • Ukrainian: небага́то (nebaháto) — a small number of
  • Welsh: ambell un — a small number of
  • Wutunhua: -jhege — a small number of
  • Yiddish: אַ פּאָר (a por) — a small number of
  • Arabic: قَلِيل (qalīl) — a small number of things
  • Belarusian: не́калькі (njékalʹki) — a small number of things
  • Bulgarian: ня́колко (njákolko) — a small number of things
  • Chinese Cantonese: 啲 (di1) — a small number of things
  • Chinese: 一寡 (zh-min-nan) — a small number of things
  • Chinese Mandarin: 幾個 /几个 (jǐgè) — a small number of things
  • Chinese Mandarin: 一些 (yīxiē) — a small number of things
  • Chinese Mandarin: 若干 (ruògān) — a small number of things
  • Czech: několik — a small number of things
  • Finnish: muutama — a small number of things
  • Finnish: jokunen — a small number of things
  • French: quelques-uns — a small number of things
  • German: einige — a small number of things
  • German: wenige — a small number of things
  • German: ein paar — a small number of things
  • Hindi: कुछ (kuch) — a small number of things
  • Irish: cúpla — a small number of things
  • Irish: beagán — a small number of things
  • Italian: pochi — a small number of things
  • Italian: un pò di — a small number of things
  • Japanese: 幾つか (ikutsuka) — a small number of things
  • Japanese: 少数 (shōsū) — a small number of things
  • Japanese: 二、三の — a small number of things
  • Korean: 몇 (myeot) — a small number of things
  • Latin: nōnnūllus — a small number of things
  • Macedonian: не́колку (nékolku) — a small number of things
  • Polish: kilka — a small number of things
  • Portuguese: um pouco — a small number of things
  • Romanian: câțiva — a small number of things
  • Romanian: câteva — a small number of things
  • Russian: не́сколько (néskolʹko) — a small number of things
  • Russian: немно́го (nemnógo) — a small number of things
  • Serbo-Croatian: не̏колико — a small number of things
  • Serbo-Croatian: nȅkoliko — a small number of things
  • Slovak: niekoľko — a small number of things
  • Slovene: nekaj — a small number of things
  • Spanish: pocos — a small number of things
  • Tagalog: may ilan — a small number of things
  • Tamil: ஒரு சில (oru cila) — a small number of things
  • Telugu: కొన్ని (konni) — a small number of things
  • Telugu: కొందరు (kondaru) — a small number of things
  • Ukrainian: де́кілька (dékilʹka) — a small number of things
  • Urdu: کُچھ (kuch) — a small number of things
  • Vietnamese: một vài — a small number of things
  • Yiddish: אַ פּאָר (a por) — a small number of things