quelques
/kɛlk/
In French, "a few" is expressed as quelques.
quelques is used as a determiner to indicate a small number of something.
Meaning: a small number of (det)
Which one should you use?
While quelques refers to a small number (a few), the word plusieurs means "several" and implies a larger quantity than quelques.
How does it change in a sentence?
quelques is an invariable adjective in the sense that it always takes an s at the end when used to mean "a few", regardless of the noun it modifies.
How do you pronounce it?
/kɛlk/
Did you know?
- The word quelques is derived from the interrogative quel, meaning 'which'. In essence, saying 'a few' in French is linguistically tied to the act of asking 'which ones'.
- If you use the singular form quelque instead of quelques, the meaning changes entirely from 'a few' to 'some' or 'certain', often implying a specific but unnamed person or thing.
- When placed before a number, quelque can act as an adverb meaning 'approximately', such as in quelque dix ans for 'about ten years'.
Examples in context
- Il a quelques amis.He has a few friends.This sentence shows how to use quelques with a noun referring to people.Tatoeba #6394848 by Aiji, translation #304371 by CK
- As-tu quelques CDs ?Do you have a few CDs?This sentence demonstrates a question using quelques to ask about a quantity of objects.Tatoeba #458852 by sacredceltic, translation #493889 by adjusting
- Il a quelques stylos.He has a few pens.This sentence illustrates using quelques to describe a small number of stationery items.Tatoeba #590372 by qdii, translation #434892 by lukaszpp
- J'ai besoin de quelques minutes pour terminer cette tâche.I need a few minutes to finish this task.
- Nous devons prendre en compte un petit nombre de facteurs avant de prendre une décision.We must consider a few factors before making a decision.
- J'ai rencontré quelques-uns de mes amis à la fête hier soir.I met a few of my friends at the party last night.
- J'ai vu quelques voitures.I saw a few cars.
- J'ai vu quelques maisons.I saw a few houses.
- J'ai vu quelques-unes de mes amies.I saw a few of my female friends.
- 745 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Emma are planning a dinner party.
- NathanOn invite quelques personnes pour dîner ?Shall we invite a few people for dinner?
- EmmaOui, c'est une bonne idée, Nathan.Yes, that is a good idea, Nathan.
- NathanJe vais acheter quelques bouteilles de vin.I will buy a few bottles of wine.
- EmmaParfait, je m'occupe du dessert.Perfect, I will take care of the dessert.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry quelques, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
