Málo

Málo is a word used in Czech and Slovak to express small quantity or degree, equivalent to the English "little" or "few." It functions primarily as an adverb but can also act as a determiner before a noun in the genitive case to indicate insufficiency, as in "málo peněz" (not enough money) or "málo času" (little time).

In practice, málo is placed before the noun and governs the genitive form. Examples include "Málo času máme," meaning "We have little time," and "Málo lidí přišlo," meaning "Few people came." It can be intensified with phrases like "příliš málo" to convey stronger insufficiency, as in "příliš málo času" (too little time). The construction is common in both Czech and Slovak.

Málo also appears in set phrases and in comparative constructions to contrast quantity or degree with what is expected. In Slovak, the usage is parallel to Czech: "málo ľudí," "málo peňazí," etc. Both languages share closely related etymology, deriving from Proto-Slavic *malo-*; cognates appear in Polish mało, Russian мало, Ukrainian мало, and other Slavic languages.

Etymologically, málo is part of a family of words meaning “little” or “not much” across the Slavic languages, reflecting a common semantic core. In modern usage, málo remains a common, neutral term suitable for formal and informal contexts, with synonyms such as nevelký, málo velký in broader phrases or expressions using antonyms like hodně to express the opposite meaning.