What is the difference between a few days and few days?
Few is a quantifier used with plural countable nouns. Without the article “a,” few emphasizes a small number of something. Adding the article removes the emphasis—a few means some. The same rule applies to little, which is used with singular uncountable nouns.
A “few” typically refers to the vicinity of 3 to 7 of something. A few days would be longer than a couple (two) but shorter than a week (seven). So the time duration could range from three to six days and still be classified as a few.
Answer: Both the terms "few" and a few" technically refer to more than one, so some people use them interchangeably, assuming they mean the same, but that is not correct. 'A few' means 'some', whereas 'few' means 'not a lot of'.
Answer. Few means "not many (people or things)." It is used to say that there are not a lot of people or things. A few means "some (people or things)." It is used to say that there are a small number of people or things. Below are some examples showing how each is used. I have a few [=some/a small number of] friends.
What's the difference, "after a few days" and "a few days later"? They mean the same thing but are used in different ways. For example: When telling a story you would say "A few days later" to indicate that time had moved on.
"A few days" generally means a small number of days, usually between 2 to 5 days, but it can vary depending on the conte.
How many is a few? A few is generally considered to mean between two and several. Some people use a few to mean around three, but this is not a universal interpretation. Its meaning is highly relative to the context—it often depends on what's being discussed, especially the scale and expectations.
A little, a few with a noun
We use a little with singular uncountable nouns. We use a few with plural countable nouns: Mary said nothing, but she drank some tea and ate a little bread. We stayed a few days in Florence and visited the museums.
Also, note it may also exhibit a negative sentiment or meaning in some cases.) A few – I have a few friends. (It implies I have some friends.) The few – The few public parks that we have are not well maintained.
Examples for a little / a few
I always enjoy a little cream and sugar in my coffee. Jesse has a few speeding tickets, so his insurance rate is higher than mine. We have a little extra time this afternoon; do you want to watch a movie? There were a few horses grazing in front of the barn.
Does 3 mean a few?
A “couple” means 2. A “Few” means 3 to 6. “Several” means 7 or more.
Few is generally 2 to 4 hours. We also say a couple of hours and couple usually means 2 but in this case it could be 3 or 4 hours. The word few means more than a couple and less than several. A few is usually defined as three whereas several is more than three.
“A couple of days” is two or three days (but not usually more.) “A few days” is three or four days (give or take a day.) “Several days” is four or five days (give or take a day.) They overlap, and they are somewhat “interchangeable”, but always retaining a subtle difference in meaning (for careful speakers, at least.)
"Within the next few days" typically means within the next three to seven days. It can also refer to a shorter or longer.
Both "a few days back" and "a few days ago" are commonly used phrases to refer to a time in the recent past. However, "a few days ago" is more commonly used and considered to be more grammatically correct.
'A few' is basically a small number, more than two but not much more. If somebody tells me that something will be done in a few weeks and I trust them, I would take it to mean about 3 weeks, possibly 4 or 5 but not more than that. If they thought it would be about two weeks they'd have said 'a couple of weeks'.
The phrase 'few days a week' is correct and usable in written English. You can use it to refer to a certain number of days out of every week (what days are included may or may not be specified). For example, "I'm available to meet up a few days a week.".
More than several/a few/a couple of you have asked. Couple is used to refer to two things, but is also often used for a small number greater than two. Few is used the same way as couple and also for a number slightly greater than a couple. Several is usually used for a number greater than a couple and a few.
A couple of times is 2 times, while a few times is approximately 3-9. The definition for "a few times" may be different depending on the person you talk to. I refer "a few" as around 5, but with a range of 3-7.
A Few: "A few" typically implies a small number, often more than two but not many. It can be loosely understood as approximately three to five items, though it may vary from person to person. A Couple: "A couple" usually means exactly two, though it can sometimes be used informally to mean a small number, of.
Do we say little money or few money?
“A little money” is correct, but “few” is not. Money is a collective noun (like sand, dirt, sugar) as opposed to “dollars” or coins” or 25-cent pieces” or “grains of sand”; the adjective “few” is only used when the noun modified can be specifically enumerated (e.g., two dollars, 73 dollars, 541 dollars, etc.).
Both can be correct but they mean quite different things. “l*ttle money” means that there is hardly any to spare. “A little money” doesn't have that connotation. “A little money, judiciously spread around, can ease your way considerably.”
The word 'few' refers to countable nouns and is used with the plural form. 'Little' is generally used to refer to non-countable nouns and is used with the singular form.
The word 'little' means a bit of or hardly any amount. The term 'a little' means some or a small quantity. It is used as an adjective, adverb and pronoun. It is used as an adverb.
You should rather say , “ Just a little milk is needed'. Milk is an uncountable noun like air, water etc. It is measured in quantity like much,more, little etc. not in numbers like many, plenty, few etc.
