sehr wenig
/zeːr ˈveːnɪç/word by word
The German phrase for "very little" is sehr wenig.
sehr wenig is used to describe a small amount or quantity of something.
Which one should you use?
Use sehr wenig for uncountable quantities, such as water or time. If you are referring to countable items like people or books, you should use sehr wenige instead.
How does it change in a sentence?
When modifying a plural countable noun, sehr wenig changes to sehr wenige. However, if the phrase is used as an adverb to modify a verb, such as in the phrase "to speak very little", the form remains sehr wenig.
How do you pronounce it?
/zeːr ˈveːnɪç/
Did you know?
- The word sehr shares a surprising history with the English word 'sorely'. While it now means 'very', its ancient roots describe being 'injured' or 'sore'.
- If a German speaker wants to say they have 'very little' of something in a way that implies 'hardly any', they might use the phrase kaum instead of sehr wenig.
- While sehr wenig describes quantity, the concept of 'little' in German can be split between wenig for amount and klein for size.
Examples in context
- Tom sagte sehr wenig.Tom said very little.This sentence shows how to use sehr wenig when describing how much someone said.Tatoeba #3513327 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #3511515 by CK
- Sie haben sehr wenig an.They wear very little clothing.This sentence demonstrates the use of sehr wenig regarding clothing.Tatoeba #1863298 by Zaghawa, translation #306153 by CK
- Sie isst nur sehr wenig.She eats but very little.This sentence illustrates how to use sehr wenig to describe a small amount of food being eaten.Tatoeba #5656448 by Vortarulo, translation #2023682 by sacredceltic
- Ich verstehe kaum etwas DeutschI understand very little German
- Ich weiß ganz wenig über das ThemaI know very little about the topic
- 49 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julia and Felix are talking about their sleep before work.
- JuliaHast du gut geschlafen, Felix?Did you sleep well, Felix?
- FelixNein, ich habe leider sehr wenig geschlafen.No, unfortunately I slept very little.
- JuliaDas tut mir leid zu hören.I am sorry to hear that.
- FelixIch brauche jetzt einen starken Kaffee.I need a strong coffee now.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (sehr, wenig) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sehr, wenig, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
