A few and A little!

Mohan: Hey Rohan, How was the gathering?

Rohan: It was good. Few people turned up!

Mohan: That means no one came?

Rohan: No, not much, but a sizeable crowd

Mohan: Ok, that means a few people did come :)

Rohan: What’s the difference?

Mohan: Let’s say you invited 100 people and expected about 50 to come.

When you say few people came, that means the number is far below expectation which goes in a negative manner

On the other hand, you invited 100 people and expected not more than 10, but about 20 came, which is a positive sign. In that case, you say

“A few people came”

Rohan: Oh, so “few” alone means close to nothing and “a few” means it’s actually something :)

Glad, I learnt little!

Mohan: Again, when you say just “little” it means almost nothing

Rohan: Ah ok, got the logic, it should be “A little”

Mohan: There you go!

Remember:

Few - Close to Empty like for example: “It is very critical, Only few options left” [Negative]

A Few - Something satisfactory: “I was so hungry, but thankfully, a few food joints were still open” [Positive]

Little: Close to nothing Ex. “Little did he know” means “He did not know” [Negative]

A little: Not a lot, but something better. Ex. “He didn’t learn this formally, but had a little bit of knowledge of the stuff and managed” [Positive]

Prof Mohanram's voice