muy poco
/mui poko/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'very little' is translated into Spanish as muy poco.
The phrase is used to describe a small amount or a low frequency of something.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of muy (very) and poco (little/few).
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase must agree in gender with the noun it modifies, using muy poca for feminine nouns. When referring to a small number of countable items, use the plural forms muy pocos for masculine nouns or muy pocas for feminine nouns.
Did you know?
- The word muy comes from the Latin multum, which usually means 'much' or 'many', even though it now only means 'very'.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, saying muy poco when asked about your knowledge of a topic is a sign of modesty rather than a statement of ignorance.
- While muy poco means 'very little', adding the article un to create un poco changes the meaning to 'a little bit', which is often used as a polite softener in requests.
Examples in context
- Sé muy poco de él.I know very little about him.This sentence shows how to use muy poco to express a lack of knowledge about someone.Tatoeba #1774818 by Shishir, translation #1774039 by Spamster
- Se logró muy poco.Very little was achieved.This sentence demonstrates using muy poco to describe a small amount of achievement.Tatoeba #13022362 by Eremon, translation #4495469 by CK
- Sé muy poco de ella.I know very little about her.This sentence shows how to use muy poco to express a lack of knowledge about a woman.Tatoeba #1774817 by Shishir, translation #1774038 by Spamster
- No sé mucho sobre ese tema, solo un poco.I don't know much about that topic, just very little.
- Nos quedan escasamente un par de horas para terminar el proyecto.We have very little time left to finish the project.
- Hemos recibido casi nada de información sobre el evento.We have received almost no information about the event.
- Añade una pizca de sal al guiso.Add a pinch of salt to the stew.
- 19 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Sofía are at a cafe discussing their breakfast.
- JavierEn el café puse muy poco azúcar.I put very little sugar in the coffee.
- SofíaYo también tomo muy poco azúcar.I also take very little sugar.
- JavierEs mejor para la salud, ¿verdad?It is better for your health, right?
- SofíaSí, es cierto.Yes, it is true.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries muy, poco, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
