pocas
“pocas” means “few” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
few
Also: not many
📝 In Action
Había pocas sillas disponibles en la sala.
A1There were few chairs available in the room.
Ella tiene pocas amigas cercanas, pero son leales.
A2She has few close friends, but they are loyal.
En pocas palabras, fue un desastre.
B1In few words (briefly), it was a disaster.
few
Also: only a few
📝 In Action
Compramos diez botellas, pero ya quedan muy pocas.
A2We bought ten bottles, but very few are left.
¿Cuántas flores quieres? Solo dame pocas.
B1How many flowers do you want? Just give me a few.
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: pocas
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly uses 'pocas' as an adjective?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin word *paucus*, which meant 'few' or 'little.' This root word gave rise to similar words in many Romance languages.
First recorded: Before the 10th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why don't we usually use the article 'las' before 'pocas'?
'Pocas' is a quantifier, meaning it already specifies the quantity (a small number). When you use words like 'poco,' 'mucho,' or 'algún' to talk about an indefinite quantity, you generally skip the article 'las' or 'los.' For example, 'I have few books' is 'Tengo pocos libros,' not 'Tengo los pocos libros.'