few 基本解释
- adj. 很少的；几乎没有的
- pron. 很少
- n. 很少数
- n. (Few)人名；(英)菲尤
few 词态变化
比较级: fewer;最高级: fewest;
few 中文词源
few 少数，几个来自PIE*pau, 少的，小的，词源同poor, pupil, pullet.引申多种词义。
few 英文词源
- few
- few: [OE] Few traces its history back to the Indo- European base *pau-, denoting smallness of quantity or number, amongst whose other descendants are Latin paucus ‘little’ (source of English paucity [15], French peu ‘few’, and Italian and Spanish poco ‘a little’), Latin (and hence English) pauper ‘poor’, and English poor and poverty. In Germanic it produced *faw-, whose modern representatives are Swedish få, Danish faa, and English few.
=> pauper, poor, poverty - few (adj.)
- Old English feawe (plural; contracted to fea) "not many, a small number; seldom, even a little," from Proto-Germanic *faw- (cognates: Old Saxon fa, Old Frisian fe, Old High German fao, Old Norse far, Danish faa).
This is from PIE root *pau- (1) "few, little" (cognates: Latin paucus "few, little," paullus "little," parvus "little, small," pauper "poor;" Greek pauros "few, little," pais (genitive paidos) "child;" Latin puer "child, boy," pullus "young animal;" Oscan puklu "child;" Sanskrit potah "a young animal," putrah "son;" Old English fola "young horse;" Old Norse fylja "young female horse;" Old Church Slavonic puta "bird;" Lithuanian putytis "young animal, young bird").
Always plural in Old English, according to OED "on the analogy of the adverbial fela," meaning "many." Phrase few and far between attested from 1660s. Unusual ironic use in quite a few "many" (1854), earlier a good few (1803).
There is likewise another dialectical use of the word few among them [i.e. "the Northern Counties"], seemingly tending to its total overthrow; for they are bold enough to say--"a good few," meaning a good many. [Samuel Pegge, "Anecdotes of the English Language," London, 1803]
- few (n.)
- "a small number of persons" (distinguished from the many), c. 1300, fewe, from few (adj.).
Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few. [Winston Churchill, 1940]
few 词组搭配
every few
once in every small group of (typically units of time)
（尤指时间单位）每隔几…一次
she visits every few weeks.
她每隔几周探望一次。
few and far between
scarce; infrequent
稀少，罕有；稀疏
my inspired moments are few and far between.
我难得有灵感。
a good few
(Brit.)a fairly large number of
(英)大量的，许多的
it had been around for a good few years.
多年来它一直挥之不去。
have a few
(informal)drink enough alcohol to be slightly drunk
(非正式)喝得微醉
no fewer than
used to emphasize a surprisingly large number
［强调数字大得惊人］ 不少于，多达
there are no fewer than seventy different brand names.
不同的品牌名称多达70种。
not a few
a considerable number
众多的，大量的，可观的
his fiction has caused not a few readers to see red.
他的小说犯了众怒。
quite a few
a fairly large number
相当多的，不少的
quite a few people can do it.
这事许多人都干得了。
some few
some but not many
一些，有些
few 英文释义
- 1. an indefinite but relatively small number;
- "they bought a case of beer and drank a few"
- 2. a small elite group;
- "it was designed for the discriminating few"
few 同义词解析
little, few, several
这几个词用作形容词时均含"少量的"之意。
little： 只修饰不可数名词，含否定意义。
few： 只修饰可数名词的复数形式，侧重指数量非常少，给人一种模糊概念，含否定意义。
several： 修饰可数名词的复数形式，指至少有3个，但不会超过5、6个。
few 双语例句
- 1. I have tried to pack a good deal into a few words.
- 我尽量言简意赅。
来自柯林斯例句
- 2. The economy remains deep in recession with few signs of a pick-up.
- 经济仍深陷衰退之中，几乎没有好转的迹象。
来自柯林斯例句
- 3. Few would argue that this team has experience and proven ability.
- 这个队伍的丰富经验和表现出来的实力是众所公认的。
来自柯林斯例句
- 4. A few are dim-witted drones, but most are talented, frustrated, wasted people.
- 有几个是愚笨的寄生虫，但是大多数是有才能却不得志而自暴自弃的人。
来自柯林斯例句
- 5. He sweeps up and does a few odds and ends.
- 他扫完地，又干了几样杂活儿。
来自柯林斯例句
few 实用场景例句
- You can pass with as few as 25 points.
- 只需要25分就可以及格。
牛津词典
- (formal)Few will argue with this conclusion.
- 很少有人会不同意这个结论。
牛津词典
- I recognized a few of the other people.
- 我认出了一些其他的人。
牛津词典
- I've seen most of his movies. Only a few are as good as his first one.
- 他的电影多数我都看过。只有少数几部能与他的第一部媲美。
牛津词典
- Could you give me a few more details?
- 你能再给我提供一些详情吗？
牛津词典
- Fewer than 20 students passed all the exams.
- 不到20个学生考试全部及格。
牛津词典
- Very few of his books are worth reading.
- 他的书值得读的太少了。
牛津词典
- Few people understand the difference.
- 很少有人了解这个差别。
牛津词典
- There seem to be fewer tourists around this year.
- 今年来访的旅游者似乎少了。
牛津词典
- Very few students learn Latin now.
- 现在学拉丁语的学生少得很。
牛津词典
- We've had a few replies.
- 我们已得到了一些答复。
牛津词典
- I need a few things from the store.
- 我需要从商店买些东西。
牛津词典
- Quite a few people are going to arrive early.
- 相当多的人打算早到。
牛津词典
- I try to visit my parents every few weeks .
- 我尽量每隔几个星期看望一次父母。
牛津词典
- The factory may make as few as 1,500 cars this year.
- 今年，工厂生产的小轿车可能只有 1,500 辆。
柯林斯高阶英语词典
- Successful women politicians are few and far between...
- 成功的女政治家凤毛麟角。
柯林斯高阶英语词典
- In this economic climate new ideas were few and far between.
- 在这种经济环境下，新想法极为罕见。
柯林斯高阶英语词典
- I've made this argument, and not a few people would disagree with me...
- 我提出了此论点，而这会是相当多的人都不同意的。
柯林斯高阶英语词典
- I think a good few of the others were like me, a bit confused.
- 我觉得其他人中不少都像我一样，有点迷惑不解。
柯林斯高阶英语词典
- A breathalyzer tells you you've a had a few too many.
- 呼吸分析器显示你饮酒过量。
柯林斯高阶英语词典
- No fewer than thirteen foreign ministers attended the session.
- 至少有 13 国外长出席了这届会议。
柯林斯高阶英语词典
- I gave a dinner party for a few close friends...
- 我为几个密友办了晚宴。
柯林斯高阶英语词典
- We had a few drinks afterwards...
- 后来我们喝了几杯。
柯林斯高阶英语词典
- The past few weeks of her life had been the most pleasant she could remember...
- 过去几周是她记忆中平生最愉快的日子。
柯林斯高阶英语词典
- The leaders are expected to fly to Mecca in the next few days to seal the agreement.
- 领导人将在接下来的几天中飞往麦加签署协议。
柯林斯高阶英语词典
- She had few friends, and was generally not very happy...
- 她几乎没什么朋友，总的来说不怎么开心。
柯林斯高阶英语词典
- Few members planned to vote for him...
- 几乎没什么成员打算投他的票。
柯林斯高阶英语词典
- This should not be an experience for the few.
- 这不应是少数几个人的经历。
柯林斯高阶英语词典
- ...a system built on academic excellence for the few.
- 建立在面向少数人的精英教育上的体制
柯林斯高阶英语词典
- One study showed that even as few as ten cigarettes a day can damage fertility...
- 一项研究显示，一天只抽 10 支烟也会损害生育能力。
柯林斯高阶英语词典
