Inklingo

How to Say "few" in Spanish

English → Spanish

poco

/PO-ko//ˈpoko/

adjectiveA1general
Use 'poco' when referring to a small, countable number of people or things, especially when comparing to a larger expected amount.
A nearly empty bookshelf with only a few books on one shelf, illustrating the concept of 'few'.

Examples

Hay pocos coches en la calle hoy.

There are few cars on the street today.

Tengo poca paciencia para estas cosas.

I have little patience for these things.

Recibimos pocas quejas sobre el servicio.

We receive few complaints about the service.

Muchos empiezan el curso, pero pocos lo terminan.

Many start the course, but few finish it.

Making 'Poco' Agree

When 'poco' describes a thing, it must change to match. Use 'poco' for masculine things, 'poca' for feminine things, 'pocos' for plural masculine things, and 'pocas' for plural feminine things.

Standing In for a Noun

You can use 'pocos' or 'pocas' to replace a noun you just mentioned. It saves you from repeating yourself. Just make sure it matches the original noun's gender and number.

Forgetting to Match

Mistake: “Tengo poco amigas.”

Correction: Tengo pocas amigas. You need to use 'pocas' because 'amigas' is a feminine, plural word.

Gender Mismatch

Mistake: “—¿Cuántas manzanas quedan? —Quedan pocos.”

Correction: —¿Cuántas manzanas quedan? —Quedan pocas. You must use 'pocas' because 'manzanas' (apples) is a feminine word.

poco

/PO-ko//ˈpoko/

pronounA2general
Use 'poco' as a pronoun when it stands in for a small number of people or things that have already been mentioned or are understood from context.
A nearly empty bookshelf with only a few books on one shelf, illustrating the concept of 'few'.

Examples

Muchos empiezan el curso, pero pocos lo terminan.

Many start the course, but few finish it.

Hay pocos coches en la calle hoy.

There are few cars on the street today.

Tengo poca paciencia para estas cosas.

I have little patience for these things.

Recibimos pocas quejas sobre el servicio.

We receive few complaints about the service.

Making 'Poco' Agree

When 'poco' describes a thing, it must change to match. Use 'poco' for masculine things, 'poca' for feminine things, 'pocos' for plural masculine things, and 'pocas' for plural feminine things.

Standing In for a Noun

You can use 'pocos' or 'pocas' to replace a noun you just mentioned. It saves you from repeating yourself. Just make sure it matches the original noun's gender and number.

Forgetting to Match

Mistake: “Tengo poco amigas.”

Correction: Tengo pocas amigas. You need to use 'pocas' because 'amigas' is a feminine, plural word.

Gender Mismatch

Mistake: “—¿Cuántas manzanas quedan? —Quedan pocos.”

Correction: —¿Cuántas manzanas quedan? —Quedan pocas. You must use 'pocas' because 'manzanas' (apples) is a feminine word.

puñado

nounB1general
Use 'puñado' as a noun to describe a small, often informal, group or quantity of people or things, emphasizing a limited number.

Examples

Solo un puñado de estudiantes entendió el concepto avanzado.

Only a small number of students understood the advanced concept.

contado

/kon-TAH-doh//konˈtaðo/

adjectiveB2general
Use 'contado' as an adjective to describe something that is scarce or limited in number, often implying a lack or rarity.
A vast, empty field of green grass with only three small, isolated flowers blooming far apart, visually representing scarcity.

Examples

Los recursos naturales del planeta son contados.

The planet's natural resources are scarce (limited).

Su tiempo en la empresa estaba contado.

His time at the company was numbered.

Figurative Use

This meaning uses the idea of 'counting' to imply that the total number is known, fixed, and small, suggesting scarcity or an approaching end.

Poco vs. Puñado

Learners often confuse 'poco' and 'puñado'. Remember that 'poco' is generally used for countable items like 'few people' or 'few cars' (adjective/pronoun), while 'puñado' is a noun that specifically refers to a small handful or group, emphasizing a limited quantity.

Related Translations

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