few
adjective, determiner, pronoun (few, fewer, fewest; a few)
Everyday
- Few means not many: few people came. tree →
- «A few» means a small number, some: I have a few sweets. tree →
- Fewer means a smaller number than another; fewest means the smallest number of all. tree →
In the lessons
in «how many fewer … than» the difference between two amounts (subtract the smaller from the bigger); «4 fewer than 11» = 11 − 4; in everyday life «a few minutes», «quite a few» (many); in science «few animals live in the desert»
Examples
- A box has 20 balloons and a bag has 19 balloons. How many fewer balloons are in the bag than in the box? tree →
- Tom has 4 fewer pens than Lisa. Lisa has 11 pens. tree →
- Ann has a few stamps. tree →
- Wait a few minutes, please. tree →
- Few people swim in the sea in winter. tree →
- Our team scored fewer goals than theirs. tree →
- Which class has the fewest books? tree →
- I have a few friends on my street. tree →
- In a few minutes they were ready. tree →
Note
«fewer … than» asks for a difference: subtract the smaller from the bigger. Trap: «Tom has 4 fewer than Lisa» with Lisa's amount given asks for Tom's: subtract 4 from Lisa's. «Few» goes with things you can count (few apples); «little» and «less» with things you cannot count (little water). «Few» sounds sad (not enough); «a few» sounds neutral (some).
In Jewish tradition
Interpretation: Moses prays that Reuben's men will not become few. Tradition notes Israel's small number as a sign that its strength comes from God and not from size. In the primary lessons: in «how many fewer … than» the difference between two amounts (subtract the smaller from the bigger); «4 fewer than 11» = 11 − 4; in everyday life «a few minutes», «quite a few» (many); in science «few animals live in the desert»
Examples
- Let Reuben live, and not die in that his men become few. (Torah DEU.33.6, JPS 1917) tree →
- and tarry with him a few days, until thy brother's fury turn away; (Torah GEN.27.44, JPS 1917) tree →
- And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her. (Torah GEN.29.20, JPS 1917) tree →
- Yea, very few, and sojourners in it, (Writings PSA.105.12, JPS 1917) tree →
- When they were but a few men in number. (Writings PSA.105.12, JPS 1917) tree →
- Let his days be few; let another take his charge. (Writings PSA.109.8, JPS 1917) tree →
Note
«fewer … than» asks for a difference: subtract the smaller from the bigger. Trap: «Tom has 4 fewer than Lisa» with Lisa's amount given asks for Tom's: subtract 4 from Lisa's. «Few» goes with things you can count (few apples); «little» and «less» with things you cannot count (little water). «Few» sounds sad (not enough); «a few» sounds neutral (some).
On Mova
- Trees and pragmatics of «few» in the school dictionary: every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- «few» in the school dictionary on Mova free.
- Trees and pragmatics of «few» in the Judaism dictionary: every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- «few» in the Judaism dictionary on Mova free.
This page in Markdown → https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/few/