「Few」和 「A Few」? 「Little」和「A Little」? 🤔

 

較早前，我在更新基礎課程中有關名詞標記和不定代名詞時，偶然看到「few」和「a few」、「little」和「a little」這些數量詞對。想到許多學生都曾對此表達過困惑，所以我決定透過這通訊簡單地講述一下它們之間的差異。

「Few」和「a few」，以及「little」和「a little」這兩組 – 即總共四個量詞，它們在文法上都可以用作名詞標記和代名詞。

也就是說，它們各自都有一個版本作為名詞標記（以標記核心名詞），和另一個版本作為代名詞。

作為名詞標記，這些量詞的功能與其他量詞作為名詞標記無異。它們會在名詞組中標記核心名詞，並顯示其特定的數量。

例如：

Few people know the truth.

很少人知道真相

There is still a little wine left. 

還有少許酒剩下

名詞組「few people」中，量詞「few」是核心名詞「people」的名詞標記；在名詞組「a little wine」中，量詞「a little」是核心名詞「wine」的名詞標記。

另外作為代名詞，這些量詞本身也就是名詞，表達在特定語境中那被指的東西的數量。

例如：

Many people think he did it. Few know the truth. 

很多人以為是他做的，很少人知道真相

I don’t think we drank all the wine. There is still a little left. 

我們應該沒有把酒都喝光了，還剩一點

上述例子，「few」和「a little」自身都是代名詞。

在各自的語境中，「few」表達了「few people（少數人）」的意思，「a little」則表達「a little wine（少量酒）」。量詞的「few」和「a little」，自身就能在語境中代表了整個名詞組。

這兩對量詞最使人困惑的地方是，雖然表面上「few」和「a few」，以及「little」和「a little」只是有沒有「a」的分別，但實際上它們的含義是完全不同的。

「Few」和「little」在沒有「a」的情況下，都意指「很少，少到近乎沒有」。

「Few」會連接文法上可數名詞的眾數字形來表達其數量，而「little」則會連接文法上不可數的名詞（因此永遠是單數字形）來表示數量。

例如：

Few people know the truth. / Few know the truth. 

很少人知道真相

There is little wine left. / There is little left. 

只剩下很少酒

注意沒有「a」的「few」和「little」都指「數量稀少」，強調「近乎沒有」。

然而，「a few」和「a little」表達的卻不一樣，是指「少量（但還有）」這個數量。同樣地，「a few」會連同文法上可數名詞的眾數字形一起使用，「a little」則與文法上不可數的名詞一起使用。

例如：

A few people know the truth. / A few know the truth. 

有些人知道真相

There is a little wine left. / There is a little left.

還剩下少許酒

重點是，儘管它們的字形相似，但「few」和「a few」意思有別，「little」和「a little」的意思也不一樣。

「Few」意指「某眾數的可數名詞」只有少量，強調的是那「少得近乎沒有」的意思。而「a few」指「某眾數的可數名詞」還有少量，強調出「仍然有一些」的意思。

「Little」意指「某不可數名詞」只有少量，強調的是那「少得近乎沒有」的意思；而「a little」指「某不可數名詞」還有少量，強調出「仍然有一些」的意思。

以後大家就要多留意這些不同字形的分別了~

_____________________

小練習：

在正確的橫線上填上「few」、「a few」、「little」或「a little」。

1. ____ students understood the lesson, so the teacher explained it again.
只有少數學生聽懂了課程，所以老師又解釋了一遍

2. ____ students raised their hands to ask questions.
有幾名學生舉手發問

3. I have ____ money left, so i can still buy a coffee
我還剩下一點錢，所以還能買杯咖啡

4. There is ____ hope that the weather will improve today.
對於今天天氣轉好，沒甚麼希望

___________________ 

“Few”? “A Few”? “Little”? “A Little”? 🤔

The other day, as I was updating the subsection in my foundational course on noun markers and indefinite pronouns, I came across the pairs of quantifiers “few” and “a few,” and “little” and “a little.” I thought that I could write a short newsletter on their difference because many students seem to be confused by them. 

Both the pairs “few” and “a few,” and “little” and “a little” -- as in, all four of these quantifiers -- can grammatically function as both noun markers and pronouns. 

This means that each of them has one version as a noun marker (marking a core noun) and another version as a pronoun by themselves.

As a noun marker, these quantifiers function just like other quantifiers as noun markers. They mark the core noun in a noun phrase, giving it a certain quantity:

For example:

Few people know the truth.

很少人知道真相

There is still a little wine left. 

還有少許酒剩下

In the noun phrase “few people,” the quantifier “few” acts as a noun marker marking the core noun “people.” In the noun phrase “a little wine,” the quantifier “a little” acts as a noun marker marking the core noun “wine.” 

On the other hand, as pronouns, these quantifiers are nouns by themselves and express a certain quantity of the “entity” being referred to in that particular context.

For example: 

Many people think he did it. Few know the truth. 

很多人以為是他做的，很少人知道真相

I don’t think we drank all the wine. There is still a little left. 

我們應該沒有把酒都喝光了，還剩一點

In these examples, “few” and “a little” are pronouns by themselves.

In their respective contexts, “few” expresses the meaning of “few people,” and “a little” expresses the meaning of “a little wine.” But just the quantifiers “few” and “a little” already represent these whole noun phrases in context, by themselves.

Now, the point that always confuses people about these two pairs of quantifiers in particular is that, even though “few” and “a few” and “little” and “a little” are just respectively differentiated by a “a,” their respective meanings are completely different.

“Few” and “little,” without the “a,” both mean “a very small amount, so small that there is almost none” (很少，少到近乎沒有）.

“Few” expresses this quantity with grammatically countable nouns in plural form, whereas “little” expresses the quantity with grammatical uncountable nouns (which are thus always in singular form).

For example: 

Few people know the truth. / Few know the truth. 

很少人知道真相

There is little wine left. / There is little left. 

只剩下很少酒

Pay attention that “few” and “little,” without “a,” mean “a very small amount,” highlighting that it is “close to none.” 

However, with “a,” “a few” and “a little” express something completely different -- which is the quantity of “a small amount.” Again, “a few” is used with grammatically countable nouns in plural form, and “a little” is used with grammatically uncountable nouns.

For example: 

A few people know the truth. / A few know the truth. 

有些人知道真相

There is a little wine left. / There is a little left.

還剩下少許酒

The main point is that “few” and “a few” differ in meaning, and “little” and “a little” differ in meaning, despite their similar forms.

“Few” means “a very small amount” of a plural countable noun, usually highlighting that there is “almost none,” whereas “a few” means “some” or “several” of a plural countable noun, usually highlighting that there is “still some.”

“Little” means “a very small amount” of an uncountable noun, usually highlighting that there is “almost none,” whereas “a little” means “some” of an uncountable noun, usually highlighting that there is “still some.”

Try to pay attention to this difference from now on.

Answers:

1. Few

2. A few

3. A little

4. Little