très peu
The English phrase "very little" is translated into French as très peu.
très peu is used to describe a small amount or a low frequency of something. Depending on the context, you may use other phrases: pas grand-chose is a common way to express the idea of "not much" in casual conversation, while the formal term brièvement can be used to express the idea of saying very little in a concise or brief manner.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of très (very) and peu (little/few).
Which one should you use?
In English, speakers distinguish between "very little" for uncountable amounts and "very few" for countable quantities. In French, très peu is used for both cases, covering both uncountable amounts like water and countable quantities like people.
How does it change in a sentence?
When très peu is used as an adjective to modify a noun, it must be followed by de (or d' before a vowel), forming the phrase très peu de to mean "very little" or "very few".
Did you know?
- The word très actually comes from the Latin word trāns, which meant 'through' or 'across'. It evolved from describing the extent of something to acting as an intensifier meaning 'very'.
- While très peu means 'very little', adding the article un to create un peu completely changes the meaning to 'a little' or 'some', turning a negative lack into a positive presence.
- In French, the word peu is used in the expression à peu près to mean 'approximately'. In this context, it describes a quantity that is 'almost' or 'nearly' a certain amount.
Examples in context
- Tom mange très peu.Tom eats very little.This sentence is useful for describing the amount someone eats using très peu.Tatoeba #5249448 by martin9, translation #1025841 by CK
- On a très peu de temps.We have very little time.This sentence shows how to use très peu to describe a small amount of time.Tatoeba #3513374 by Scorpionvenin14, translation #2545078 by CK
- J'ai très peu d'argent.I have very little money.This sentence demonstrates using très peu to express a small amount of money.Tatoeba #10718583 by lbdx, translation #3737270 by CK
- Je n'ai pas grand-chose à dire sur le sujetI don't have much to say about the topic
- Je ne peux pas dire grand-choseI can't say much
- 49 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Emma are at a cafe.
- NathanEmma, est-ce que tu aimes ce thé ?Emma, do you like this tea?
- EmmaNon, il y a très peu de goût.No, there is very little flavor.
- NathanC'est dommage, le serveur est très gentil.That's a shame, the waiter is very kind.
- EmmaOui, mais je préfère un thé plus fort.Yes, but I prefer a stronger tea.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries peu, très, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
