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1 few
few [fju:](a) (not many) peu de;∎ few people have done that peu de gens ont fait cela;∎ there are very few suitable candidates for the post très peu de candidats ont le profil requis;∎ so/too few books to read si/trop peu de livres à lire;∎ there are four books too few il manque quatre livres;∎ we are few (in number) nous sommes peu nombreux;∎ with few exceptions à peu d'exceptions près, sauf de rares exceptions; (with def art, poss adj etc)∎ on the few occasions that I have met him les rares fois où je l'ai rencontré;∎ her few remaining possessions le peu de biens qui lui restaient;∎ these few precious souvenirs ces quelques précieux souvenirs;∎ it is one of the few surviving examples of… c'est un des rares exemples qui restent de…;∎ she is one of the few women to have held the post c'est une des rares femmes à avoir assumé ces fonctions;∎ visitors are few and far between les visiteurs sont rares;∎ grants will be few and far between in future les bourses se feront rares à l'avenir∎ every few minutes toutes les deux ou trois minutes;∎ the first few copies les deux ou trois premiers exemplaires;∎ in the past/next few days pendant les deux ou trois derniers/prochains jours;∎ he's been living in London for the past few years ça fait quelques années qu'il habite à Londres;∎ these past few weeks have been wonderful ces dernières semaines ont été merveilleuses2 pronoun(not many) peu;∎ how many of them are there? - very few combien sont-ils? - très peu nombreux;∎ there are very/too few of us nous sommes très peu/trop peu nombreux;∎ there are so few of them ils sont tellement peu nombreux;∎ I didn't realize how few there were je ne m'étais pas rendu compte qu'ils étaient aussi peu nombreux;∎ few could have predicted the outcome peu de personnes ou rares sont ceux qui auraient pu prévoir le résultat;∎ few of them could speak French peu parmi eux parlaient français;∎ the few who knew her les quelques personnes qui la connaissaient;∎ the chosen few les heureux élus;∎ British History the Few = les aviateurs britanniques qui ont défendu leur pays pendant la bataille d'Angleterre;∎ Bible many are called but few are chosen il y a beaucoup d'appelés mais peu d'élus3 a fewquelques;∎ I have a few ideas j'ai quelques idées;∎ he has a few more friends than I have il a un peu plus d'amis que moi;∎ a few more days/months/years quelques jours/mois/années de plus;∎ a few more days should see the job done encore quelques jours et le travail devrait être fini2 pronounquelques-uns (quelques-unes) mpl, fpl;∎ do you have many friends? - I have a few est-ce que tu as beaucoup d'amis? - (j'en ai) quelques-uns;∎ we need a few more/less il nous en faut un peu plus/moins;∎ a few of these cakes/the survivors quelques-uns de ces gâteaux/des survivants;∎ a few of you quelques-uns d'entre vous;∎ there are only a few of us who attend regularly seuls quelques-uns parmi nous y vont régulièrement;∎ to name but a few pour n'en citer que quelques-uns;∎ not a few pas peuun assez grand nombre de;∎ there were a good few or quite a few mistakes in it il y avait un assez grand nombre de ou pas mal de fautes dedans;∎ quite a few minutes passed un bon moment s'est écoulé2 pronounun assez grand nombre;∎ quite a few agreed with me ils étaient assez nombreux à être d'accord avec moi;∎ quite a few of us/of the books un assez grand nombre d'entre nous/de livres;∎ I hadn't seen all her films, but I'd seen a good few je n'avais pas vu tous ses films, mais j'en avais vu un assez grand nombre -
2 few
❢ When few is used as a quantifier to indicate the smallness or insufficiency of a given number or quantity ( few houses, few shops, few people) it is translated by peu de: peu de maisons, peu de magasins, peu de gens. Equally the few is translated by le peu de: the few people who knew her le peu de gens qui la connaissaient. For examples and particular usages see A 1 in the entry.When few is used as a quantifier in certain expressions to mean several, translations vary according to the expression: see A 2 in the entry. When a few is used as a quantifier ( a few books), it can often be translated by quelques: quelques livres ; however, for expressions such as quite a few books, a good few books, see B in the entry. For translations of few used as a pronoun ( few of us succeeded, I only need a few) see B, C in the entry. For translations of the few used as a noun ( the few who voted for him) see D in the entry.A quantif1 ( not many) peu de ; few visitors/letters peu de visiteurs/lettres ; few people came to the meeting peu de gens sont venus à la réunion ; very few houses/families très peu de maisons/familles ; there are very few opportunities for graduates il y a très peu de débouchés pour les diplômés ; one of my few pleasures un de mes rares plaisirs ; on the few occasions that she has visited this country les rares fois où elle a visité ce pays ; their needs are few ils ont peu de besoins ; their demands are few ils sont peu exigeants, ils revendiquent peu de chose ; to be few in number être peu nombreux ; there are too few women in this profession il y a trop peu de femmes dans ce métier ; with few exceptions à quelques exceptions près ; a man of few words gen un homme peu loquace ; ( approvingly) un homme qui ne se perd pas en paroles inutiles ;2 (some, several) every few days tous les deux ou trois jours ; over the next few days/weeks ( in past) dans les jours/semaines qui ont suivi ; ( in future) dans les jours/semaines à venir ; these past few days ces derniers jours ; the first few weeks les premières semaines ; the few books she possessed les quelques livres qu'elle possédait.B a few quantif quelques ; a few people/houses quelques personnes/maisons ; I would like a few more j'en voudrais quelques-uns (or quelques-unes) de plus ; quite a few people/houses pas mal ○ de gens/maisons, un bon nombre de gens/maisons ; we've lived here for a good few years nous vivons ici depuis un bon nombre d'années ; a few weeks earlier quelques semaines plus tôt ; in a few minutes dans quelques minutes ; in a few more months dans quelques mois ; a few more times quelques fois de plus.C pron1 ( not many) peu ; few of us succeeded peu d'entre nous ont réussi ; few of them could swim ils n'étaient pas nombreux à savoir nager ; few of them survived peu d'entre eux ont survécu, il y a eu peu de survivants ; there are so few of them that ( objects) il y en a tellement peu que ; ( people) ils sont tellement peu nombreux que ; there are four too few il en manque quatre ; as few as four people turned up quatre personnes seulement sont venues ; few can deny that il y a peu de gens qui nieraient que ;2 ( some) a few of the soldiers/countries quelques-uns or certains des soldats/pays ; I only need a few il ne m'en faut que quelques-uns/quelques-unes ; a few of us un certain nombre d'entre nous ; there were only a few of them ( objects) il n'y en avait que quelques-uns/quelques-unes ; ( people) ils étaient peu nombreux ; quite a few of the tourists come from Germany un bon nombre des touristes viennent d'Allemagne ; a good few of the houses were damaged un bon nombre des maisons ont été endommagées ; there are only a very few left ( objects) il n'en reste que très peu ; ( people) il ne reste que quelques personnes ; a few wanted to go on strike quelques-uns voulaient faire la grève.D n the few who voted for him les rares personnes qui ont voté pour lui ; great wealth in the hands of the few une grande richesse entre les mains d'une minorité ; music that appeals only to the few une musique qui ne s'adresse qu'à l'élite.to be few and far between être rarissimes ; such people/opportunities are few and far between de telles personnes/occasions sont rarissimes ; villages in this area are few and far between il y a très peu de villages dans cette région ; to have had a few (too many) ○ avoir bu quelques verres de trop, être bien parti ○. -
3 few
few [fju:]a. ( = not many) peu (de)• there are always the few who think that... il y a toujours la minorité qui croit que...• how many? -- quite a few combien ? -- pas mal (inf)• too few of them realize that... trop peu d'entre eux sont conscients que...* * *Note: When few is used as a quantifier to indicate the smallness or insufficiency of a given number or quantity ( few houses, few people, few shops) it is translated by peu de: peu de maisons, peu de gens, peu de magasins. Equally the few is translated by le peu de: the few people who knew her le peu de gens qui la connaissaient. For examples and particular usages see I 1 in the entryWhen few is used as a quantifier in certain expressions to mean several, translations vary according to the expression: see I 2 in the entryWhen a few is used as a quantifier ( a few books), it can often be translated by quelques: quelques livres; however, for expressions such as quite a few books, a good few books, see II in the entryFor translations of few used as a pronoun ( few of us succeeded, I only need a few) see II, III in the entryFor translations of the few used as a noun ( the few who voted for him) see III in the entry[fjuː] 1.(comparative fewer; superlative fewest) quantifier1) ( not many) peu defew visitors/letters — peu de visiteurs/lettres
2) (some, several)2.over the next few days/weeks — ( in past) dans les jours/semaines qui ont suivi; ( in future) dans les jours/semaines à venir
a few quantifier, pronoun quelquesa few people/houses — quelques personnes/maisons
I would like a few more — j'en voudrais quelques-uns/quelques-unes de plus
quite a few people/houses — pas mal (colloq) de gens/maisons, un bon nombre de personnes/maisons
a few of the soldiers/countries — quelques-uns or certains des soldats/pays
there were only a few of them — il n'y en avait que quelques-uns/quelques-unes
3.quite a few ou a good few of the tourists come from Germany — un bon nombre des touristes viennent d'Allemagne
••to have had a few (too many) — (colloq) avoir bu quelques verres (de trop)
См. также в других словарях:
few — [ fju ] (comparative fewer; superlative fewest) function word, quantifier *** Few can be used in the following ways: as a determiner (followed by a plural noun): Few people live there now. There were a few animals in the barn. as a pronoun: Many… … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
few*/*/*/ — [fjuː] (comparative fewer; superlative fewest) grammar word summary: Few or a few can be: ■ a determiner: Few people live there now. ♦ There were a few animals in the barn. ■ a pronoun: Many have tried, but few have succeeded. ♦ A few of the… … Dictionary for writing and speaking English
few */*/*/ — UK [fjuː] / US [fju] determiner, pronoun Word forms few : comparative fewer superlative fewest Summary: Few can be used in the following ways: as a determiner (followed by a plural noun): Few people live there now. ♦ There were a few animals in… … English dictionary
few — adj. & n. adj. not many (few doctors smoke; visitors are few). n. (as pl.) 1 (prec. by a) some but not many (a few words should be added; a few of his friends were there). 2 a small number, not many (many are called but few are chosen). 3 (prec.… … Useful english dictionary
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