意味一覧 (2件)
いくつか
解説 Definition
a few は『少し』や『いくつか』という意味で、1より多いけれど多すぎない数量を表す。"a few days" なら数日のことで、肯定的な状況で使われることが多い。'a few' のあとには数えられる名詞を置いて、ほどよい量を伝える。
A few means a small number of things or people, usually more than two but not many. It is often used when the amount is limited but enough for the situation. It sounds more positive than very few.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
このエントリの a few は、名詞の前で「少数の」と修飾する基本用法とは別に、文中で数量そのものを受けて「いくつか」と表す感覚で覚える。前に出た物や選択肢を受けて、I chose a few. や A few were missing. のように使うと考えるとよい。few だけでは不足感が強く、a few は「少ないが存在する」という肯定的な含みを残す。
Remember the power of a: few sounds negative, but a few means some are there. Use it only with countable nouns, like a few books, a few days, or a few people. Compare it with a little, which is for uncountable nouns, and the pattern becomes easier to keep.
例文
I have a few questions about the homework.
宿題についていくつか質問があります。
She only bought a few strawberries.
彼女はイチゴをほんの少しだけ買った。
少数の
(意味 2)解説 Definition
a few は、数えられる名詞の前に置いて「多くはないが、いくらかある」ことを表す表現。人・物・日数・質問など、具体的に数えられる対象について、少ない数を肯定的に示す場面でよく使う。
"A few" is used before countable nouns to mean that there is a small number of something. It shows that the number is not large, but it is enough to be noticed or to matter. It is often used for things you can count, such as people, days, questions, or books. Compared with "few," "a few" usually has a more positive feeling because it suggests that some are available.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
a few は few「ほとんどない」に a が付いて、少ないが存在するという肯定的な「少数の」を表します。a few people, a few days, a few minutes のように数えられる名詞に使います。few は不足感が強いのに対し、a few は「いくつかはある」と前向きに響く点を押さえると覚えやすいです。
Think of "a few" as "a small number, but not zero." The word "few" alone can sound negative, but adding "a" makes it softer and more positive. If you remember that "a" gives the idea of "some," it becomes easier to feel the difference between "few" and "a few."
例文
I have a few questions about the homework.
宿題について少し質問があります。
We stayed in Kyoto for a few days during the spring holiday.
春休みの間、私たちは京都に数日滞在しました。
Only a few students chose the advanced seminar, but the discussion was excellent.
上級ゼミを選んだ学生は少数だったが、議論はとても充実していた。
a few の語源・成り立ち Etymology
fewは古英語fēaweから。印欧祖語peh₂u-（少ない・小さい）に遡る。ラテン語paucus（少ない）と同根で、関連語：paucity（少数）、poor（貧しい→少ない）。a fewとすると「少しはある」と肯定的なニュアンスになるのが特徴。
Few comes from Old English feawe and goes back to an Indo-European root meaning "small" or "little in amount." It is related to Latin paucus, which gave English paucity. In the phrase a few, the old idea of small number remains, but the phrase developed a more positive feeling because it suggests that some are still present.
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