Translation guide
In Japanese, expressing 'a few' depends on what you are counting. For small countable objects, use 二、三 (に、さん) or 数 (すう) + counter. For an indefinite small number, いくつか or 少し are common. The choice varies by formality and context.
The speaker refers to roughly two or three items, or a small unspecified number.
Literally 'two, three', this pattern means 'a few' and is very common in both spoken and written Japanese. The counter must match the noun.
a few apples
a few times
Means 'several' or 'a few'. Slightly more formal than 二、三. Common in writing and formal speech.
a few friends
a few times
Means 'a few' or 'some' for unspecified countable items. Casual and versatile. Often used without a specific counter.
I have a few questions.
Usually means 'a little' (uncountable), but can be used for countable things in casual speech, often with the particle の.
For countable objects, 少し is less precise than 二、三 or 数. It may sound like 'a small amount' rather than 'a few items'.
for a few moments
The speaker refers to a small group of people, typically two or three.
The speaker refers to a small quantity of something that cannot be counted individually.
The speaker uses 'a few' without a following noun, e.g., 'I have a few.'
二、三 (に、さん) explicitly suggests two or three, while 数 (すう) is vaguer, like 'several'. In casual speech, 二、三 is more common; in formal writing, 数 is preferred.
in a few days (probably 2-3 days)
in a few days (several days, less specific)
少し (すこし) is primarily for uncountable amounts. Using it for countable items can sound unnatural. For example, 'a few books' is 二、三冊の本, not 少しの本.
A few people gathered.
I have a little time.
少々お待ちください。
Please wait a moment.