June 4, 2020
How many is “Several” ?
When I was in school, I learned “a few” means 2 or 3 and “several” means about 7 or 8. However, I was wondering about it is correct or not for a long time.
According to my dictionary, it says that “a few” means “a small number, for example two or three people or things.” However, it says that “several” means “more than a few people or things, but not a large number.” That is, does "several" mean numbers between about 3 and 6? That's ambiguous, so I want to know what native speakers imagine the numbers. I suppose that everyone might have different opinions, but I’d be grateful if you could tell me your opinion. :D
When I was in school, I learned that “a few” means 2 or 3 and “several” means about 7 or 8.
However, I washave been wondering about itwhether or not this is correct or not for a long time.
According to my dictionary, it says that “a few” means “a small number, for example two or three people or things.” However, it says that “several” means “more than a few people or things, but not a large number.” That is,So does "several" mean numbers between about 3 and 6?
That'is is ambiguous, so I want to know what numbers native speakers imagine the numbers.
Feedback
In my head, a few is normally 2 or 3, and several is more than that... but not a lot. It would be relative to what is expected, I suppose, as someone else mentioned.
June 5, 2020
I see :D Thanks for your help!
When I was in school, I learned that “a few” means 2 or 3 and “several” means about 7 or 8.
However, I was've wondering about ied for a long time if that is correct or not for a long time.
According to my dictionary, it says that “a few” means “a small number, for example two or three people or things.” However, it says that “several” means “more than a few people or things, but not a large number.” That isAnd so, does "several" mean numbers between about 3 and 6?
Feedback
To me I don't really think about the exact numbers in my head, but "a several" is definitely more than "a few"! The main idea with "few" is "some but not many," so 2 or 3 of something sounds right, but it would depend on context.
"Several" to me always means more than "few," and the main idea is that there is a lot of something but still less than "many." So that could be 3-6, but again it depends on what you're counting.
See Merriam Webster for a better explanation: https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/couple-few-several-use#:~:text=Couple%20is%20used%20when%20referring,than%20the%20word%20many%20does.
June 4, 2020
To me, it's not really a matter of number, rather a matter of focus. Let's say I wanna attend a soccer match happening in a stadium with a max capacity of 60 000; if I arrive early and see there are only 100 people, I'd have no problem saying there are "a few" people.
Several = emphasizes the things/persons you're talking about are not alone, as opposed to "one"
A few = emphasizes you're talking about a moderate quantity
And of course, you've got "few/little" (without an "a") which emphasize you're talking about a small quantity, as opposed to "many/much".
But as you (rightly) point out, we'll have different opinions because words such as "few" and "several" are indefinite, and thus, subjective. It's like talking about the semantics of adjectives: "when does "big" beginn and "small" end?". It can give rise to very interesting debates, but those are likely to go on for hours :)
June 4, 2020
To me, "several" could be anything from 4-10, around the same as "a handful".
June 4, 2020
Just to add my 2 cents, I use "a couple" to mean 2 or 3 and "several" to mean 4-5+. Technically "a couple" means 2, but it can be used informally to just mean "a small number". Many can often mean many different things, depending on the context.
100 grains of rice are not many grains of rice. 100 people would be "many" if they came to my house but not "many" to visit Japan.
Several often has a feeling of "a substantial or meaningful number."
For example: "A few people agree with me" versus "several people agree with me." The actual number of people might not much very different, but you are implying more importance with "several".
June 5, 2020
@Bryant_bcp,
Thank you for your help! I understand very well :D Also, thank you for letting me know the website. I'll check it out right now :D
June 5, 2020
@Monsieur_Elephant,
Thank you for your detailed explanation! I understand very well :D Also, the example sentence of a soccer match is easy to understand. I didn't know such a usage, so I've leaned a lot :D
June 5, 2020
@Kresmii,
Oh I see :D Thank you for your help!
June 5, 2020
@Roperb,
Oh I understand very well :D Your explanation is easy to understand :)
Thank you for your help!
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How many is “Several” ? |
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When I was in school, I learned “a few” means 2 or 3 and “several” means about 7 or 8. When I was in school, I learned that “a few” means 2 or 3 and “several” means about 7 or 8. When I was in school, I learned that “a few” means 2 or 3 and “several” means about 7 or 8. |
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However, I'm not sure if it is correct or not. |
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According to my dictionary, it says that “a few” means “a small number, for example two or three people or things.” However, it says that “several” means “more than a few people or things, but not a large number.” That is, does "several" mean numbers between about 3 and 6? According to my dictionary, it says that “a few” means “a small number, for example two or three people or things.” However, it says that “several” means “more than a few people or things, but not a large number.” According to my dictionary, |
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That's ambiguous, so I want to know what native speakers imagine the numbers. Th |
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I suppose that everyone might have different opinions, but I’d be grateful if you could tell me your opinion D |
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I suppose that everyone might have different opinions, but I’d be grateful if you could tell me your opinion. |
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:D |
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However, I was wondering about it is correct or not. |
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However, I was wondering about it is correct or not for a long time. However, I However, I |
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